


Apocalypse Now

by Noenoe



Category: The Walking Dead (TV)
Genre: Gen, Walking Dead AU
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-03-16
Updated: 2017-03-16
Packaged: 2018-10-06 03:48:21
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 27
Words: 58,968
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10324931
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Noenoe/pseuds/Noenoe
Summary: Daryl Dixon enjoyed letting people underestimate him.  He only showed him what they wanted to believe.  This served him well as a highly decorated officer in the Atlanta PD before the world ended and it still serves him well.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Walking Dead and all its characters (especially Daryl Dixon) sadly do not belong to me. I just like to dabble a bit in their world.
> 
> ******
> 
> I can't seem to recall if it was ever revealed what Daryl did before, apart from following Merle around.
> 
> I decided to pretend Daryl used to be a cop and a highly decorated and smart one (since Daryl is not as stupid as people seem to think he is) as well.

Chapter 1:

 

Daryl felt at peace in the woods. He left early this morning, only stopping to say goodbye to Merle. He warned Merle to watch his temper whilst they were in Atlanta, whether Merle was going to listen was another question. He worried about the people back at the camp. Most of them weren’t going to make it. They treated this all situation as an extended camping trip.

He knew the camp did not like the Dixons, but truth be told, they decided the Dixon brothers were nothing but two redneck hicks with nothing to offer society.

 

Sure Merle was a little rough on the edges, his mouth ran away long before his brain had a chance to tell his mouth to shut the fuck up and think. Then again Merle really had a bad start in life. Will Dixon had always been a bad boy, he started smoking somewhere around this sixth birthday, and getting drunk on moonshine by the time he was nine. Fourteen year old Will Dixon took a shine to the neighbour’s ten year old daughter and within a month started fucking her. Suzie fell pregnant with Merle the night of her fourteenth birthday. Both Will and Suzie were flying high on a cocktail of moonshine and home cooked drugs.

 

Nine months later Merle staggered from Suzie’s womb, high as a kite and drunk as a skunk. The poor bastard was born a drunk and an addict. Merle grew up in a house where his parents’ relationship was about as stable us undiluted nitroglycerin. Their altercations usually ended with broken furniture, bruises, blood and the police at their front door. Both Suzie and Will dosed their baby with moonshine when they wanted Merle asleep and Merle was a full blown alcoholic by his fourth birthday. To top it all of Merle was hyper active and dyslexic and since he was only a Dixon from the boondocks, none of his teachers realized what was wrong with him.

 

The moment Merle Dixon started school he was branded as a troublemaker, a little motherfucker who causes problems. Whenever something went wrong at school, Merle got blamed. He wasn’t always the innocent bystander and did his own hell raising at school, but Merle never stole (for which he was blamed), never got drunk or high at school and never started fights, he ended the fights though, but he never started them.

 

Merle left school and joined the Army, which for a while seemed like a good thing. He stopped drinking and using drugs. The army exercised all his extra energy out of him. Finally it seemed as if his life was on the right track, but then he met Sergeant Raymond White. White was a dealer and before Merle Dixon could sneeze, he was firmly in the clutches of White and hooked on whatever that fucker sold.  Merle’s Army career ended when he punched a captain who tried to rape a new recruit. Merle was high at the time and since the new recruit refused to testify on his behalf, the captain had an impeccable record and, along with his damning test results, they found Merle’s stash, Merle was dishonourably discharged.  From there on Merle’s life took a downward spiral and ended with him back at the Dixon homestead brewing moonshine with his dad and pushing a new brand of meth for some teacher.

 

Daryl was their surprise baby. Like Merle he was unplanned, but Suzie learned her lesson with Merle and for the duration of her pregnancy she was stone cold sober. Merle was already sixteen by the time Daryl was born and swore he would protect his brother with his life. He would not allow Will to whip Daryl as he had done with him.

 

Suzie also tried her best to shield Daryl, since the child was not as strapping as his older brother, but when Daryl was five, she got drunk and fell asleep with a cigarette. By the time the fire department reached their house, there was nothing left to rescue or to bury. Will Dixon moved to his old hunting cabin, a luxurious abode with zero indoor plumbing. Unlike Merle, Daryl was never in trouble at school and obtained good grades. It did not stop teachers treating him as if carried he plague, he was a Dixon after all.  Merle had his own problems and never even realized Daryl was as much a pariah as he had been at school and that Will was beating his brother even worse than he did Merle. 

 

Daryl graduated with honours, and left home to join the police. By the time the world ended, Daryl was a highly decorated police officer, with a degree in criminal psychology and being head hunted by the FBI.

 

\---------------

 

Nobody back at camp knew that Daryl was a cop, but Daryl thought that Dale Horvath suspected that there was more to the Dixon brothers. Daryl preferred that the rest of the camp, especially Shane Walsh, thought that the Dixons were nothing but low lives.

  

Neither Dixon brother trusted Shane Walsh. He had a shifty look about him and Daryl knew for a fact he was bumping uglies with the recently widowed Lori Grimes in the woods. Daryl had a feeling that Walsh may have expedited the demise of Mrs Grimes’ dearly departed husband. Not that she was a prize herself. She ignored her kid in favour of Walsh, the only work she performed around camp was issuing orders to the other women and gathering mushrooms for their food. The majority of the mushrooms gathered by the woman was poisonous, but since her “I’m gathering mushrooms” really meant “I’m off to fuck my dead husband’s partner in the woods”, Daryl was surprised she could remember to gather anything but STD’s.

 

Neither Dixon brother cared much for Ed Peletier as well. The lazy fat bastard spent his time abusing his timid wife Carol and scaring the living daylights of their daughter, Sophia. When Daryl punched Ed, after a night of listening to Ed slapping Carol and verbally abusing her, Shane pulled his shotgun on Daryl and threatened to shoot him like a rabid dog if either of the Dixon’s went near any of the fine upstanding citizens in the camp.

 

Those ungrateful idiotic bastards would spit on the Dixons, believing them to be so much better than them, even whilst grabbing the meat from their hands. Not even a fucking mongrel dog would bite the hand that feeds them.

 

Daryl smiled when he spotted the deer, aimed and took a shot. At the last moment, something spooked the stupid animal and instead of a nice clean shot, the beast was wounded.

 

The thing would still die, but it meant that Daryl had to track the animal and drag the carcass back to camp. Hopefully the spooked deer would run towards the camp and not away from it.

 

\---------------

 

Daryl spent the next two days tracking the fucking animal. At least it was losing power and would soon die and more fortunately it was heading towards the camp and not away from it. Daryl was also bothered by the number of walkers that crossed his path. Avoiding the larger groups and destroying the smaller groups also delayed his hunt and return home.

 

Slipping from the underbrush, the first thing Daryl saw was the group of survivors from the camp with new unknown man. Shifting his attention to his deer he was dismayed to see that a fucking walker chewed on the meat. Contaminating it, making it useless for consumption.

 

Sighing internally he shifted into his stupid redneck persona and proceeded to kick the shit out of the headless body of the walker. Whilst kicking the deer, Daryl bitched “Son of a bitch! That’s my deer! Look at it, all gnawed on by this … filthy, disease-bearing, motherless poxy bastard!”

 

The man in the cop uniform looked shocked at him, whilst Dale tried to defuse the situation, telling Daryl “Calm down, son. That’s not helping.”

 

Daryl, now fully into his idiot redneck persona looked Dale up and down before drawling “What do you know about it, old man? Why don’t you take that stupid hat and go to _On Golden Pond_?”

 

Daryl examined the deer, internally cursing at the utter shit bad luck, before continuing to act the stupid redneck hick.

 

“I’ve been tracking this deer for miles. Gonna drag it back to camp, cook us up some venison. What do you think? Do you think we can cut around this chewed up part right here?”

  

As usual Shane, also not so lovingly known as Officer Prick, said with a very condescending tone, “I would not risk that.”

 

Daryl sighs, thinking _No shit Sherlock_ , but said aloud “That’s a damn shame. I got some squirrel. About a dozen or so, that’ll have to do.”

 

Internally he grinned again, he knew how much the prick and his princess hated squirrel, but would eat it all the same.

 

Walking up to the camp he passed the head of the walker, which at that moment decided to open its eyes and start moaning. Daryl rolled his eyes, shot it straight between the eyes, pulls his arrow out and said with an annoyed tone “Come on people. What the hell? It’s gotta be the brain. Don’t y’all know nothing?”

 

One of these fine days one of the happy little campers are going to get him or Merle killed with their lax attitude. With a grunt he walked into the camp, calling Merle. He missed his brother and he wanted to make sure he kept clean. Daryl knew that drug addicts, even those who are sober, will always look and usually find drugs.

 

\---------------

 

Daryl was getting agitated, it does not seem that Merle was with the group. Shane, Glenn, T-Dog and the new guy approached Daryl. They all looked guilty as shit, as if one of them were responsible for the dead not doing what they were supposed to be doing and that is staying the fuck dead.

 

Shane spoke up, as if somebody made him King Shit of the dungheap. “There was a _problem_ in Atlanta.”

 

Daryl frowned, “He dead?”

 

Again Shane answered “We’re not sure.”

 

How the holy fuck would Shane know in any case? It was not as if he went to Atlanta. So Daryl just snarled at the men in front of him, “He either is or he ain’t!”

 

Suddenly, the new guy either found his voice or his balls and decided to answer Daryl, “No easy way to say this, so I’ll just say it.”

 

“Who are you?” Daryl never liked it if somebody was the bearer of bad news, and this news was most certainly bad, and they did not even have the common decency to introduce themselves first.

 

“Rick Grimes.”

 

Wait…what? Grimes? As in dearly departed husband of Lori Grimes and best friend (like brothers) Shane Walsh? The same two who’ve been fucking in the woods since they set up camp? Well shit just got real. Wonder how the little cupcake is going to handle her not so dead husband and prick of a lover?

 

“Rick Grimes, you got something you want to tell me?”

 

Rick Grimes, who turns out to be just as big of a fucking prick as his partner, proceeds to tell Daryl that he handcuffed Merle to a rooftop in Atlanta and that he got left behind when they were forced to flee. Rick gave the key to the handcuffs to T-Dog, the one person in the group whose hand-eye coordination was worse than a drunken one eyed pensioner with palsy and T-Dog, big surprise, dropped the key down a drain. He did however padlock the door to the roof and as such Merle should be fine, as the walkers would not be able to open the door.

 

Rick offered to go back to Atlanta to retrieve Merle. After hearing about the bag of guns, Daryl thought it was not so much as doing the right thing as it was for the bag of guns, but he would take it. He vowed that as soon as he retrieved his brother, they would pack their shit and leave. These stupid cunts would eat the fucking food they brought back to camp, but they treated them like shit, just because they thought they knew what kind of people the Dixons are.

 

Of course Lori put up a show of not wanting to lose her husband, she just found him. Daryl nearly told her she should stop being just a skanky whore. If Not-So-Much-Dead Rick manages to expire in Atlanta and once again become Dearly Departed Rick, the way is open for her and Officer Prick. Daryl chose to be the better man and ignore her.

 

Shane threw in his two cents worth and surmised that Merle is a douche bag and would not give you a glass of water if you were dying of thirst. Just shows how good a cop the prick really was. Who did he think brought back the meat the whole camp’s been eating? Oh, yeah, the same douchebags who would apparently not give you a cup of water.

 

\---------------

 

The trip back to Atlanta was understandably a little tense. T-Dog was unable to look Daryl in the eye. Glenn tried to make small talk, but failed miserably and Rick wisely decided to keep his fucking mouth shut.

 

Glenn stop the truck and they decided which target will be first. Either the bag of guns or Merle. Daryl nearly stabbed Rick in the eye at his fucking stupidity. Yes, because walkers would be interested in a bag of guns and the same fucking bag of guns can die of thirst. Jesus Christ on a pony! Was Rick shot in his common sense centre? Did Lori suck his brains out from his dick? It was all logical.

One – Merle’s location was the closest.

Two – Unlike the bag of guns, Merle is a human being.

 

In the end Glenn convinced that it would be better if they went to get Merle first, since Merle was closer and if they went for the guns first they would have to double back to Merle’s location.

 

Luck seemed to be on their side. The building was no longer overrun and Daryl only had to take out one ugly she-walker. The door to the roof was still secure and there was no sign that walkers forced their way onto the roof.

  

That was about when Daryl’s world imploded. Only part of Merle was still on the roof. The handcuffs glinted in the sun, a bloody hacksaw lay abandoned next to Merle’s right hand.

 

TBC


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer:  
> See Chapter 1
> 
> \-------
> 
> This work is unbeta'd - so all mistakes are my own
> 
> 22 MARCH 2017 - Please see revised Chapter 2. I fixed a few mistakes I made.

The world went silent for Daryl. A single word ripped from his throat, “No. No. No. No.”, he kept looking at the severed hand trying to process this information. Rick Grimes left his brother chained on a roof in the middle of downtown Atlanta. Surrounded by walkers. No water. No shelter. He left him to die. 

Rick Grimes, a fucking sorry excuse for a Sheriff’s Deputy and an even sorrier excuse for a fucking human being, left Merle to die, trapped like some diseased animal. Would the fucker even have come back if it was not for the bag of guns? Somehow Daryl did not believe Rick Fucking Grimes would have come back if not for the guns.

For a moment Daryl became the wild redneck hick they all believed him to be. In one smooth move, Daryl spun around and lifted his bow, fully intent on putting an arrow in T-Dog’s head.

A click next to Daryl’s right ear, accompanied by the pressure from a barrel of a gun and Daryl calmed down, reigned in his temper.

“Daryl, do you think we can have a calm conversation? I can’t allow you to kill a human being.”

For a moment Daryl’s world flashed red. Bit rich coming from the bastard who cuffed another human being to a rooftop and left him to die and same fucking bastard’s whose pointing a gun right to his head.

Daryl lowered his bow, stepping away from Grimes and his itchy finger.

“Bit rich coming from you Officer Grimes. You left my brother, also a human, cuffed to a rooftop. You left him to die one of two horrible deaths. Either from thirst and exposure or being ripped apart by walkers. You did not even grant him the courtesy to defend himself. And now you dare to preach to me about not killing a human? 

It seems to me, Officer Grimes, that you like all those lazy fucks back at the camp do not consider the Dixons to be humans? Nah, y’all just sit on your asses, skipping around like this is some fucking vacation, believing y’all to be better than those redneck hicks, all the while stuffing your faces with the meat we drag back to camp.

So don’t start preaching to me about precious human life. Go fetch your bag of guns, before it dies of thirst or get ripped to fucking shreds by the walkers.

Even this fucked up shit situation changed nothin’ for the Dixons. When I find my brother, we are done with you bunch of fucking psycho losers.”

Both T-Dog and Glenn moved over to Daryl’s side. It was Glenn who spoke.

“I’m sorry Daryl. The way we’ve been treating you and Merle. It was wrong. It still is wrong. I’m sorry we left Merle here, trapped, without a way to at least defend himself. I’m sorry we took so long in coming back. But I will help you find your brother. I did not realize Merle had a drug problem, otherwise I would have kept my eye on him, try to talk him out of using, or at least until we came back to camp.”

T-Dog nodded, “For what its worth, I’m sorry too. If only I did not drop the key, Merle would not have done what he done.”

Rick Grimes went a bit sulky since T-Dog and Glenn made peace with Daryl, apologizing for their part in the events that followed.

“Hey, T-Dog. Merle’s the toughest son of a bitch I know. Feed him a hammer and he’ll shit out nails. I’m just worried about him, is all. He’s the only family I have left. It bothers me that he found drugs.

Yeah, Merle fell in with the wrong crowd. But he was sober for almost a year before this shit. And I know for a fact that the strongest drug we had in our possession was some Tylenol.”

And that was the whole problem. A year ago Merle Dixon knocked on Daryl’s door. Asking for help. He wanted to kick his habit, get a job and turn his life around. Daryl took two weeks leave, packed his gear and he and Merle disappeared into the woods.

The first few days were hell. Daryl searched Merle and his possessions thoroughly, making sure his brother was clean. Then came the withdrawal, the aggression. The turning point came when Merle attacked Daryl, believing he was either hiding drugs under his skin or that he was not his baby brother, but a mutant alien ant, hell bent on taking over the world. Luckily Merle was shaking so bad and instead of stabbing Daryl in the heart, his blade sunk into Daryl’s left shoulder.

Daryl believes the shock of seeing the knife lodged in his brother’s body scared Merle sober and straight. Merle slept for ten hours straight and when he woke he was better. It seems that Merle ran into one of his old ex-girlfriends. She had a little girl of about ten with her. The kid looked like her Mama, but she had blue eyes. Dixon blue.

Something about that little girl, Marlene, named after her daddy (Merle) and her mama (Charlene) made Merle want to be a better man and a good father. Charlene promised he could be part of his daughter’s life if he could prove to her that drugs and crime were a thing of the past, he would be welcome.

And Merle did just that, he kept his nose clean. Daryl helped Merle get work as a motorcycle mechanic. Then the world went to hell in a handbasket on steroids. The dead started walking up and biting people. The virus spread like wildfire. Still Merle kept clean. Charlene decided to seek shelter at Fort Bening and left. Merle tried to stop them, urging them to come with him and Daryl. The Dixon brothers knew that hospitals, refugee camps and army bases would in effect be the most vulnerable and would fall first.

Merle and Daryl went back to their old hunting cabin, fortifying the surrounding area, making it safe for the women. A week after Atlanta fell, Merle and Daryl arrived at Fort Bening. There was nothing left. The camp was overrun with walkers. 

They stayed a week, trying to find proof that all was not lost. Merle spotted Charlene first. Daryl used one arrow to release her from her misery. Daryl found Marlene five hours later. For a moment he wanted to release the youngest Dixon, and let Merle believe his child was still alive. In the end he told Merle and they laid his daughter to rest. It nearly broke Merle, but he kept strong. Even though Marlene died, Merle wanted to prove that he was good enough to be her daddy.  
Merle seemed lost and refused to go back to the hunting cabin. Maybe another family would find it and make it their own. And so the Dixons started drifting, on their way back to Atlanta they found a car, packed to the brim with the same blue meth that Merle used to push for that crazy school teacher. Daryl made sure that Merle had the opportunity to take some of the drugs. Merle did not remove even a single baggy, he did torch the car though.

So why the fuck did Merle use now? According to Grimes he found the baggy with white powder on Merle and most damning a white residue in his nostrils. Merle never snorted the shit, he smoked it.

Daryl borrowed a rag from T-Dog and wrapped the severed hand in it, before storing the package in Glenn’s back-pack. Glenn went a bit green around the gills, but wisely kept quiet about it. Waving his hand towards the blood trail, Daryl called to Grimes.

“Merle went this way.”

Grimes did not seem to be too happy about it, “Daryl, we don’t even know if Merle is still alive. We can’t go running after a little bit of blood…”

“Ain’t a little bit of blood Grimes. My brother sawed off his own hand, now I’m following this blood trail and you better pray I find my brother.”

With that Daryl started moving, Glenn and T-Dog followed, after T-Dog picked up Dale’s toolbox to return to the old man. With an irritated sigh Grimes decided to follow the three men.

The trail led them to the next building, where Daryl took out one walker and found proof that Merle cautorized the wound and was alive enough to kill two more walkers. The trail ended with a broken window.

“Listen Daryl, I know you don’t want to hear this, but your brother left the building. We can’t afford to go running across Atlanta in the hope of finding him. I say, go get the bag of guns and go back to our camp. Merle will find his way to our camp.”

Daryl may not like the man, but truth be told, Merle was well enough to kill two walkers before he cauterized his wound. He could be on his way back to camp and it would be best if Daryl gets there before Merle does. He knows his brother and drugs or no drugs, he knows all about Merle’s volatile temperament. Maybe he could calm him down and then they could still leave. Those that want to fall in with them and follow, would be welcome, otherwise they can keep on taking their chances with Officers Prick and Dick.

 

\---------------

They decided to go for the bag of guns. Glenn actually had a sound plan to retrieve the damn bag and made a run for it. Grimes and T-Dog kept watch on one corner, keeping the way clear should Glen need to run towards them. Daryl stayed at the original entrance point, keeping watch.

The kid was quiet, but not quiet enough. Just a little scrape of his shoe gave him away. Little bastard tried to sneak up on Daryl, waving his pistol in Daryl’s face. Even with his loaded pistol, the kid was no match for Daryl and he quickly overpowered the kid. Daryl quickly identified the kid as part of one of the lesser Hispanic gangs in Atlanta. His distinctive cannabis leave tattoo on the left side of his neck gave him away. The little idiot thought it was a good idea to started yelling at the top of his voice. 

What the fuck? Was his brain fried beyond redemption? It’s not as if the walkers were deaf. Clamping his hand over the fucktard’s mouth, trying to silence him and save his shitty life, the bastard bit him. At this point Daryl was more than happy to kill him. Fucking little shit screams like a horny teenage girl who happened to spot Justin Bieber pissing against the building.

The situation went from manageable to a total shit storm in three seconds flat. Daryl had to subdue the little pothead, because he insisted screaming into Daryl’s hand the one moment and biting down on the same hand the next. Add to the fact that it seemed as if a very dim light went up in his fried brain that the person in front of him was male and as a male was in possession of a penis and trying his best to kick him in the nuts. And all penises are highly allergic to any trauma (like kicks) being administered to them. Daryl suspected even male walkers would double over, grabbing their junk while grunting and moaning in a soprano voice if a blow was delivered to their decaying pride and joy.

In his effort to protect the little shit from becoming a happy meal to any of the new denizens of Atlanta, prevent said little shit from either biting a hole in his hand or kicking him in the balls and try to keep an eye out for Glenn, Daryl missed the three big boys coming to the rescue of little Suzie in front of him.

Like the fine upstanding citizens they used to be, they proceeded to beat the shit out of Daryl, delivering a few kidney shots, four kicks to the stomach and one glancing blow to his groin, before T-Dog and Grimes came to his rescue. Glenn was the lucky winner of being grabbed by the gangbangers.

Daryl, embracing the new world, with its lawless ways and total lack of procedure and Miranda rights, acted as only a Dixon would. His kidneys were bruised, his sternum and stomach ached, the bites on his hand pulsed and sometime after that big boot of Muscle Number 1 came too close to his dick, his balls decided to retreat into the bunker, ready to wave a white flag in surrender, quivering in fear.

Daryl kicked the little pothead and grabbed his bow, in his haste he totally missed his target, which was the head of Muscle Number 1 and shot Muscle Number 3 in the ass, who promptly gave a high pitched squeal, grabbed his ass and tried to remove the arrow. He was forced to lay on his stomach as their black car, with Glenn as hostage, took off squealing all the way.

Seeing as Grimes still thought Daryl was just another ignorant redneck, Daryl could not interrogate their prisoner. Grimes clearly decided he was going to be the new alpha male in the camp, whether Walsh was aware of this, was still an unknown factor. It might be fun to watch those two dickheads fighting for leadership of the group and the dubious love of Lori Grimes. 

Since Grimes’ way of gathering information brought them nowhere, except a few snorts from the kid tied to the chair, Daryl took matters into his own hands. Grabbing Merle’s right hand he threw it onto the kid’s lap. The boy proceeded to piss himself and then when Daryl informed him this is what happened to the last guy that pissed him off, the brave little snowflake shit himself too. Five seconds later he gave up his group’s position, promising that “G” would take them all out. Since Daryl was familiar with the gang the kid belonged to, he was of the opinion that G would not even be able to take dinner out, much less them.

\---------------

G’s hide-out was an old building. The only entrance was heavily fortified and easily defendable. T-Dog was sent to the highest point with a sniper rifle, Daryl subdued their prisoner. Grimes handled the negotiations for the exchange of prisoners. G turned out to be a skinny Hispanic man with the name of Guillermo. He talked tough, demanding the return of the boy as well as the bag of guns, threatened to throw Glenn from the rooftop or feed him to his vicious attack dogs, boasting he bought said dogs from Satan himself.

Grimes bought the bullshit Guillermo was selling, maybe not the bullshit about Satan’s dogs, and backed down. Daryl could see Guillermo was bluffing, from the number of men under his control through tossing Glenn from the rooftop ending with Satan’s dogs. But the man was desperate, he was protecting more than just able-bodied men in his compound.

As it was getting dark and Guillermo graciously granted them till daybreak, the small group pulled back to their hideout. Whatever Grimes’ problems were, he genuinely cared for Glenn. As it turned out Grimes rode into Atlanta on the back of a horse, like he was some sort of paperback cowboy. He got himself knee-deep into trouble and was sinking fast, when Glenn saved his sorry ass.

Daryl may still not like Grimes, but he would not abandon Glenn to Guilermo and his thugs and as soon as they got the kid back and they are back at camp, he’ll drop their sorry asses in the dust and go and find his brother.

It was still dark out when Daryl woke, his conscious and nightmares about Merle made sure he suffered from broken sleep. With or without Merle, he could not abandon those people. There were children back at the camp and they needed all the protection they could get. Walsh sure as shit would not protect them. It was neither the children nor the majority of the women’s fault the men in the camp were a bunch of idiots.

By daybreak the others awoke and Rick actually came up with a valid, well thought out plan. It must have hurt his brain, but it was a valid plan. At least the plan did not include horses and a re-enactment of the battle of the Alamo.

An hour later found them in a Mexican stand-off. Neither group prepared to back down, both groups hell bent on shooting the other to shit. It took one shuffling old lady to end the stand-off. Just like Daryl thought, Guillermo was all talk. He used to be a gangbanger, but turned his life around. Before he used to be the custodian of an old-age home, Muscle Number 3, now identified as Felipe, was a nurse.

The old people were abandoned and left to die. Guillermo and Felipe stayed. Funnily enough young people started arriving at the old age home. Some came to look for their grandparents. Most were gang members from Guillermo’s previous life. They all stuck around, caring for the old folks, scavenging for food and other supplies. Guillermo kept them busy by repairing the trucks, with the promise that soon enough they and the old ones would escape Atlanta, knowing full well it won’t happen. Daryl nearly pissed himself when he saw Satan’s guard dogs. One was a Chihuahua and the other two were fluffy dogs from unknown origins. 

Rick did the honourable thing by sharing the guns and ammo, and Daryl easily pretended to be an inconsiderate hick and asked the man why he would give away their guns and ammo to a bunch of old folks who would die soon enough? Daryl knew why though, if they were that far gone that they would deny assistance to the weakest of them, all hope for humanity was lost.

By that time all traces of Merle was gone and Daryl just hoped his brother made his way back to camp. And if he made his way to camp he would stay calm until Daryl could talk him down. Worry lined his face when they saw their vehicle was missing. 

“If Merle took the truck, and he’s going up to the camp… We’d better hoof it. He may be looking for some revenge on the folk up there.”

Daryl was not really worried about Walsh, Lori and definitely not about Ed Peletier. But there was innocent women and children at the camp and if Merle was angry enough and still tripping on whatever he took, he might not care who he was taking revenge on.

\---------------

Fear drove them to run the distance from Atlanta to their camp. It was already dark by the time they reached the turn-off and Daryl calculated that at the pace they were going, they should reach the camp in about an hour.

They heard the screams and shots long before they saw the camp. With a final push of adrenaline, the four men entered the camp, guns drawn. The camp was overrun with walkers, quite a few bodies was on the ground, but Daryl was unable to ascertain which ones were walkers and which ones were camp members. Rick’s fight ran out as soon as he held Carl in his arms. With the help of the additional guns, they were able to clear the camp of the walkers.

Daybreak found a pretty bleak set-up. Amy Harrison was bitten and dead. Andrea rocked her dead sister’s body, threatening to shoot anybody who came to close. A few others died, but none of the children. Justice was served when Daryl dragged the mangled corpse of Ed Peletier from his tent.

Daryl hoped that Ed suffered long and painfully before finally dying. Being chewed up by walkers really could not have happened to a nicer guy. Daryl helped clearing the camp. The corpses of the walkers were piled high on one side. Daryl grabbed a pick-axe, prepared to prevent those that fell during the attack to rise again. 

Still Andrea refused to relinquish the body of her sister. She just sat there, brushing the dead girl’s hair, crooning softly. Daryl shrugged and went over to the carcass of Ed, preparing to bash his skull in, but Carol stopped him. 

“Ed was my husband Mr Dixon. I’ll take care of him myself.”

Daryl waited for yet another Andrea-situation, but Carol stared at the corpse of her husband. Daryl stood next to her, waiting.

“I know Ed was a monster and I hated him for that, but there was times. Times when he became the man I fell in love with. A man who treated me right. And I loved that man. I loved Ed and I hated Ed.”

With a loud scream Carol raised the pick-axe and smashed it into the head of Ed Peletier. She continued hitting the corpse until there was nothing left of its head. With a small sigh, Carol dropped the pick-axe, stumbled towards her tent. Murmured voices between mother and daughter were heard. Daryl gave half a shrug and dragged Ed’s corpse over to the walker heap.

Glenn had a mini-meltdown, insisting on proper funerals for their fallen. Daryl had no problem with that, he did however have a problem with giving a bastard like Ed Peletier a proper funeral. The cruel bastard certainly would not insist on a proper funeral if Carol was the one killed and he survived.

Deciding to keep the peace he allowed Ed’s corpse along with the other deceased camp members. It’s not his call and Carol clearly wanted closure and doing the right and proper thing by her dead husband. 

Andrea still clung to the corpse of her sister. For a moment Daryl thought the animated corpse of Amy would take a nice big bite from her sister, but Andrea put her sister out of her misery. It was something Daryl could not understand. If they found Merle’s mutilated corpse on the roof, he would have released Merle, before he turned. Why punish yourself to live with that image?

Still contemplating Merle and Andrea’s potential stupidity, something new upset the people in the camp. Jaqcui was running around screaming that Jim was bit. Seemed that Jim was bit during the night. More of a graze than a bite, but even that was enough to kill you and turn you.

With Andrea still wailing over her sister and how her poor sweet sister turned and it’s all she was going to think about when she remembers Amy (That’s why you release them before they turn you stupid cow) and Glenn griping about proper funerals, by this time probably waiting for a proper wake and tea and cucumber sandwiches for after and Rick and the prick threatening him with a gun again, Daryl lost his patience.

With a snarl he told Walsh that if he was bit, he would thank the person putting him out of his misery and stopping him from turning. He flung the pick-axe away from him and shouted  
“This fuck up in camp and all the deaths? It’s on you. For leaving Merle to die like a rabid animal, trapped on a roof. At least y’all got bodies to bury.”

Rick took Jim into the RV. The dead were buried and it was decided that the camp was not the safest place to be anymore. If anybody bothered to ask Daryl, he would have told them that. He tried to warn Walsh weeks ago, but was shot down by the man.

Rick and Walsh had themselves a little pissing contest on where to go. Walsh, being the ignorant douche-bag he is, insisted on going to Fort Bening. He really would be unable to find his own asshole, even with assistance from a spotlight, directions and the Hubble telescope. When people panicked, even those liberal artsy fartsy types who loved calling all cops pigs and fascists, wishing for the day they could kill them all, they rushed to police stations for protection. When the hospitals and police stations fell, survivors were taken to military bases. Given the nature of the virus and the initial uncertainty how the virus were transmitted and that it was in fact one hundred percent lethal and one hundred percent incurable, military bases fell next. Besides it was not as if Daryl did not know of the fate of Fort Bening and would have gladly shared the news, but nobody asked his opinion. Nope, it was the Rick and Shane Show and they were performing for the masses. Rick’s choice was the CDC. A more viable option, but Daryl held no high hopes that the facility would still be secure.

In the end Rick won the dick waving contest, Morales and his family decided to head off towards their family, since family should stick together, Dale drove his RV, Glenn rode shotgun, literally since he trained the weapon on Jim, waiting for the poor bastard to turn and die. Jacqui chose to keep Jim company. Waste of time since Jim was tripping without drugs, having lovely conversations with his family and screaming matches with his previous boss, something about alternators and engine blocks, with the occasional complaint about a radiator hose.

Walsh jumped into his Jeep, yes, the absolute most secure vehicle to be driving during the apocalypse. Sullen and sulking because he lost his position as the leader of the pack and lost his bitch in the process as well.

Andrea’s prized Prius was somewhere in the traffic jam leading into Atlanta, Rick lost his first ride on his way to Atlanta and his second became lunch for a horde of walkers and Lori and Carl jumped ship in Shane’s very secure Jeep, it was decided that the Grimes family and Andrea would ride with Carol in their car. Since Ed won’t mind anymore, Rick would be driving.

Daryl loaded Merle’s bike unto their blue truck and brought up the rear. He left a message for Merle, should he come looking for them. But Daryl found himself unable to abandon the group. Somebody had to protect the women and children, seeing as Rick and Shane were still having bouts of their pissing contest. Why Shane bothers to try and take over leadership from Rick was beyond Daryl. Besides Lori, nobody cared much for Walsh.

It was near dusk when they finally reached the CDC. Along the way Jim decided that they should leave him under a tree. He hoped that he would find his family after he turned. Rick complied with his wishes. Daryl was not one to point out his reasoning was flawed, but the man was running a fever high enough to ignite jet fuel and most of his brain cells may have been fried by that time. 

Daryl had a bad feeling. The area around the compound was littered with the bodies of dead soldiers. A tank stood like a lone sentry against the death and destruction. The whole place seemed dead. But Daryl followed the group, keeping an eye out for any walkers they may or may not be creeping up on them.

The banging and shouting drew more walkers to their location. Shane insisted that Rick lost his marbles, there was nobody left alive in the building and Rick convinced he saw the camera move. Frantic yells and pleas from Rick finally paid off as the shutters opened. A man in a white lab coat, carrying a semi-automatic gun waved them inside. Daryl made sure everybody was inside, before ducking beneath the closing shutters.


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer:  
> See chapter 1
> 
> ***
> 
> I edited chapter 2 a bit, so please read again if you have not done so before.
> 
> ***
> 
> Sorry for the delay. My dad passed away suddenly and my life just went belly up

3:

Daryl watched the shutter close, before turning towards the group. Their rescuer stood apart from them, the semi-automatic hooked casually across his left arm.

“Name’s Jenner. Edwin Jenner.” He gave a small smile, “There is a price of admission. I must ask you to leave all weapons and gear in the lobby. I also need to draw a vial of blood from each of you for testing.”

Walsh immediately bristled at the thought, “Why the fuck should we leave our weapons and gear here? And why do you want to test our blood? None of us are infected, the one that was, aren’t here any longer!”

Jesus Christ, what a fucking douchebag. Jenner could have left our asses on his front door, but he let us in. Chances are that our welcome would not be long term, so there is really no need to drag our possessions downstairs.

Daryl was surprised to see a man in a lab coat and not a guard or a soldier, and as such was not overly surprised to see the gun. To survive in the new world one had to adapt, even kindly old grandmothers packed heat these days.

Jenner ushered them all into the elevator. Daryl felt like a sardine in a can, it did not help matters that Walsh was standing right next to him, trying to shove him into the side of the elevator. Walsh was shoving and prodding him in an attempt to make more room for himself and let Daryl know how far down the pecking order Daryl was deemed in their little group.

Daryl considered shoving him back, or punching him in the nose, but remembered that Carol and Sophia was standing on Walsh’s right hand side. That would not do at all. He may only be a Dixon and he was certainly neither a metro man nor a gentleman, but real men don’t go round shoving women and children.

He silently counted to ten, visualising kicking Walsh in the balls and decided to make small talk with Jenner.

“Since when do doctors go around packing heat like that?” As if he did not know, but since he was just an ignorant redneck, it was quite acceptable to ask the question. He also wanted to hear the man’s answer.

“Never needed to. Before, I detested guns. I used to sign any gun restriction petition. If people like me had their way, there would be no guns to be found. But reality sucks and the world went to shit and I refused to arm myself. Told myself the human race is better than that. We evolved past our shoot first ask questions later mentality.

The first time one of the dead came after me, I ran like a little girl. I still refused to arm myself. I convinced myself I can always run away. There is no need to shoot them. We can cure this. The second time a cop saved me, and I still refused to arm myself. The third time…” Jenner’s voice faltered, “Let’s just say I learned my lesson and since then I went armed.”

Trying to break the tension he turned to Carl, nudging him “Don’t worry, I don’t think you people are dangerous. If I was worried about that, I would not have let you in, but you, young man, you seem very dangerous. I think I’ll keep my eye on you.”

Carl gave a boyish giggle, pleased to be included in grown-up talk.

Jenner ushered them to an office, where he proceeded to withdraw a vial of blood from each of them. He carefully labelled each vial before placing, sighing “Fuck, I feel like a vampire. It may be a bit like closing the stable after the horse has bolted, but it is protocol. Allowing you inside is breaking all kinds of rules and protocols, so I’ll just soothe my conscious and follow this protocol.”

Seeing Andrea swoon and hearing Rick’s explanation that the group had not eaten a decent meal since before their camp fell, Jenner quickly invited them to dinner. Daryl enjoyed the food. It was nothing fancy, but he did not track and kill their dinner, dragging the food back to camp.

Everybody concurred it was the best damn meal they had as soon as Jenner broke the bank and produced bottles of wine and whiskey. The good stuff also. The wine all had fancy labels and the whiskey was Jack Daniels. Nothing tasted like vinegar and rotgut.

Even Carl took a mouthful of wine, declaring it to be foul. The mood around the table was light. Daryl sat in a corner, he pretended to drink. Somebody had to be sober and keep an eye out. Besides, Daryl did not like being drunk. He did not like losing control of himself and growing up the way he had, he certainly had no taste for it. But he could pretend to be drunk, pretending used to be his job, and if he could fool the best out there that he was either drunk or high, he could certainly fool these people.

Everybody was in a fine mood, laughing and joking. Pretending that the dead stayed dead. Walsh, once again showing just how big of a prick he really is, decided to bring the mood down. 

“Do you know what caused this? And when can we exactly expect a cure? With you getting drunk, you must know what caused this mess and how to cure it.”

Fucking condescending pig! The only thing he knows is how to fuck everybody over.

Grimes tried to calm Walsh down, stating they were all having dinner and relaxing. They could worry about the dead and a cure and all their problems in the morning, but Walsh would not be deterred. In the end Jenner decided to show them the progress which was made. Carol took the children to the games room, they did not really need to see this.

******

The room looked like the control room used by NASA. Only one of the consoles were powered up. The rest were dark and dead, just like the rest of the building. It seemed as if Jenner could not decide where to start.

“When all this started, we were so sure we would be able to decode the mystery. Find a cure. We worked with research facilities all over the world. The longer this mess continued, the more stations fell. Besides this facility, the only other one in operation is in France. Well, it was operational two weeks ago when I spoke to them last.

Like I said, we were all so sure that we would find a cure and the world would go back to normal, it did with every other pandemic. But not this one, this one seems hell bent on destroying the human race.

The longer this dragged on and the more it seemed as if we will never find a cause never mind a cure, the more researchers and guards lost hope. Some left to be with their families on the outside. Those that stayed behind did not begrudge them. If this was truly the end, they should be with their loved ones.

Those of us that stayed behind did not have any loved ones up top. But one after the other they all lost hope and decided to…” his voice faltered, “…ah…they decided to opt out.”

Walsh looked confused. Stupid douche probably did not understand Jenner could not say the scientists decided to commit suicide. 

“Now there’s only me left, trying to decode the virus. Trying to stop this. Trying to cure this. But there’s a problem, I had viable samples of the virus, but due to an unfortunate accident, lost all the samples of the virus.

As it is, I don’t know what caused the virus. We were even unable to locate Patient Zero. I do not know where the virus started or how it started. As far as we could ascertain, there are nobody with natural defences against the virus.”

Walsh snorted, “Fuck Jenner, what do you know? Besides how to get drunk?”

“I know that if you get infected, you die and unless counter measures are taken, your corpse will be re-animated. Ready to spread the virus. What I do know is that there is no cure. What I do know is that this is the end of humanity. Not even the fucking meek will inherit the earth. The planet belongs to the dead now.”

He sighed, as if sorry for his harsh words. He called on Vi, the computer, to play a video back. Jenner showed the group the video, a researcher was infected and she bravely volunteered to allow the virus to run its course. Maybe the remaining scientists’ research would benefit from her suffering and death. It was when there was still hope that this could be beaten.

Daryl stared with abject horror at the screen. It ended abruptly with her final death. Jenner admitted that the woman was his wife. He shot her through the head to end her misery. She was with him, the third time he mentioned, and she was bitten and infected. Jenner realized his believes caused her to be infected, if he was armed, he could have shot the walker before it bit his wife. It was his fault she died a horrible death.

Daryl looked at the group. Before they were all more than a bit drunk, they all seemed sober now. The women looked ready to vomit or faint. Or vomit then faint. Or vomit until they faint.

Saying what they all were clearly thinking, “Man, I really need to get shit-faced drunk, again. Jesus, Walsh, you sure are a big party pooper. I don’t know about y’all, but I really did not need to receive this news tonight.”

The rest of the group glared at the prick, even Lori seemed pissed. But then again, she’d been pissed at her lover ever since her husband returned from the dead.

After this joyful news, everybody slunk off to their rooms. Daryl roamed the corridors, watching everybody settle in, making sure everybody were safe in their rooms, before retiring to his room.

In the play room, Carol read a story or two to Sophia and Carl. She tucked them in and retired to her own couch, reading a novel she found. Daryl was not surprised to find Carl here instead of with his parents. Rick might want to do the horizontal tango with his wife, believing she missed him just as much as he missed her. Lori on the other hand, was only worried about her kid when she could use him as a crutch for her many problems or as a weapon to punish those around her.

He passed T-Dog’s room. The big man over indulged during dinner and courtesy of Walsh’s demand to know the truth, drank himself into a stupor. Daryl really did not want his head come morning.

Jacqui was pretending to read, but was actually staring at the wall in front of her with a vacant look on her face. Jenner’s news really shook her to the core. She believed that a cure would be found. She believed that the world would return to normal.

Andrea was vomiting loudly. Daryl heard Dale’s soothing voice. The old man really adopted the two blonde sisters as his own. Dale would make sure that Andrea was looked after before retiring to his own room.

Jenner was singing drunkenly in his own room. Daryl left him to his own devices.

Glenn snored in his room, a goofy drunken grin on his face. Probably dreaming about the boobies he saw when he still delivered pizzas. Besides the children, Glenn was the most innocent of them all.

Rick and Lori Grimes spent an unholy amount of time in the shower. Finally Rick staggered towards their chosen bedroom. Little Miss Sunshine stayed behind, probably wasting a little more water. Walsh, like the weasel he is, slunk into the room. Daryl waited in the shadows. He may not like Lori Grimes very much, but Walsh was drunk and she made it clear that she would not continue with their relationship. If she rebuffed his advances and Walsh insisted on continuing with their affair, he will end it. Rape stays rape, no matter who the victim is.

He listened to their hushed voices, which grew more begging from Walsh and more venomous from Lori. Daryl was now even more disgusted with the man. She rejected him, she made it abundantly clear she wants to work on her marriage with Grimes, well at least until she stops feeling guilty about everything. But Walsh continued to beg and grovel before Lori. Suddenly the door burst open and Walsh staggered out, three long scratches on his left cheek. He crept towards his room, hand covering his cheek. A minute later Lori slipped from the bathroom and entered the room she shared with her husband.

Everybody was hunkered down for the night. So Daryl took a shower, relishing the feeling of being clean again. He might like the others to believe he was nothing but a stupid redneck with a severe allergy to manners and personal hygiene, but he liked to be clean. Besides flouncing through the woods, either tracking dinner or evading the walkers it really would not do if you smelled like a perfume factory exploded and you were caught in the blast.

******

Morning came and everybody but the children and Daryl sported a massive hangover. Glenn turned green when Jenner offered them eggs for breakfast. Rick saw the three band-aid plasters on Walsh’s face and enquired after the injury. Walsh pretended to have cut himself shaving, which Rick bought. The two ex-deputies certainly were not the sharpest tools in the shed. Nobody manages to cut themselves three times in almost the exact same spot and most certainly not the length of the supposed cuts. Maybe Grimes realized that Walsh was just as fucking stupid as he was and that Walsh was depressed and wanted to commit suicide and was clueless as to the location of his carotid artery.

Daryl, however, had more pressing matters to discuss with Jenner. A clock flashed in the control room, counting down. Daryl never encountered a clock, counting down, that did not bode well. Before he could open his mouth, Dale mentioned the clock and the significance of the countdown.

Jenner informed the group that the building had been running on power supplied by generators. The countdown began, warning those in the building that in two hours fifteen minutes and ten seconds the generators would run dry. The last bit of electricity left in the building would be used to detonate the bombs, located all over the facility, ensuring that none of the other deadly viruses escape to the outside. It would be the final solution to prevent mass catastrophe in case of a disaster. Walsh bitched about the fact that the world already went to shit and they were sealed inside the building.

Jenner tried to explain to the idiot, that it formed part of the final protocols of the building. None of the scientists working in the facility knew how to override the protocol. Daryl was just as shocked as the rest of them, but he could understand. Those on the outside really did not need to face the bastard love child of every virus stored in the facility escaping to the outside. Facing the walkers were bad enough. Do they really need the current clusterfuck of a virus to bond with say the common cold and evolve into a virus that is airborne?

Rick and Walsh ran to the basement, trying to find extra fuel. What would it matter if they found another drum? Soon enough that fuel would also run out and they would face the exact same scenario. Daryl begged Jenner to open the doors so that they could leave. Grimes and Walsh wasted an hour in the basement searching for fuel. As soon as they returned to the control room, Jenner closed the blast doors. 

He tried to comfort them that the blast would be quick and they would not feel a thing. They would be free and since Grimes told him the previous evening, they need not worry about the outside anymore. They need not worry about starvation, the walkers, watching loved ones being bitten and turning into walkers themselves. 

Daryl grabbed the fire-axe, trying to wedge the doors open. Walsh completely lost his mind, punched Daryl in the gut, grabbing the axe, hell bent on killing Jenner. Yes, Walsh, kill the only man who knows the codes to open the doors.

Carol pleaded with Jenner.

“Please, let us go. I understand life out there is dangerous and uncertain, but I would like every minute with my daughter. My husband was an abusive bastard, for years we lived in his shadow, too afraid to breathe. But we found peace and joy in each other, in the small things around us. The way flowers smelled, the white clouds in the clear blue sky, rain and storms, the smell of freshly mowed grass.

Things Ed could not take away from us, because we cleaned the house and tended to the garden. The little freedom me and Sophia enjoyed was taken from us the moment the world changed. But still we enjoyed the little things. When he got himself killed by walkers I destroyed by husband’s corpse, to stop him from coming back. I did it myself and freed me and my daughter from his oppressive shadow.

I am sorry you lost your wife and all your friends. I am sorry you lost your will to live. But I have not lost my will to live and I can’t speak for the others, but I want to live. I want Sophia to live. I want to show her the world, imperfect and dangerous as it is, because it is our world.”

Daryl was impressed with the woman. She may seem timid and her bastard of her husband kept her down, but she was a fighter. She may not even realize her own strength, but she will. She would not only survive, but flourish. Even Jenner was impressed with her. He opened the blast doors and the shutters on top.

“I’m sorry, I can’t do anything about releasing the locks. You also need to take the stairs, as there is not enough juice left to operate the elevators, but you would be able to destroy the glass. I’m not leaving. I failed my wife. I failed to find a cure. Those who would like to stay, are most welcome.”

With that he turned his back on the group. Daryl was not exactly in the mood for long teary farewells with the man, he picked Sophia up and he and Carol rushed up the stairs to the lobby. Praying for another miracle that would allow them to escape the doomed building.

Thundering steps let Daryl know most, if not all, of the group, decided they also chose life and would face the walkers and all the other dangers of their new world, than burning in an all consuming fire.


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the delay. I struggled to finish this chapter as I had to deal with the death of my father and then a month later my brother also passed away.

Call it fate. Call it fortune. Call it blind luck. Call it whatever you want, but something made Rick Grimes grab the hand grenade when he was trapped in the tank back in Atlanta. He shoved it in his pant pocket and forgot about it.

Back at the camp, Carol washed his clothes and found the grenade. It disappeared into the phantom zone, also known as a woman’s purse. There it stayed in limbo, seemingly forgotten. Lady Luck seemed a little on their side, because if Lori actually lowered herself to perform some of the chores, instead of fucking everything with a badge, Daryl excluded, but only since nobody knew he used to be a cop, she would have thrown it away, declaring the grenade to be too dangerous.

Daryl, Rick and Walsh attacked the glass in the lobby, and panic was starting to set in, when Carol slapped herself, grabbed her purse and shoved the grenade into Rick’s hands.

Luck was still on their side and one of the big windows were blown out by the blast. Daryl grabbed his bow and the axe, and clearing a path towards the cars. There were not a lot of walkers on the outside, but the noise from the blast was sure to draw the fuckers out. 

Daryl made a quick survey of the group. Jacqui, Andrea and Dale were missing. Jacqui’s been depressed a while now and hearing the news that there was no cure, this was the world now, broke what little spirit she had left. Amy’s death shook Andrea to the core, but he did not peg her to quit like that. Dale obviously stayed because Andrea stayed. 

There was no time to drive away, they braced themselves in their vehicles. Walsh was obviously the most safe as he was hiding in his jeep. Daryl figured that Superman must have pissed in the Jeep’s gas tank, making the damn thing near indestructible. A minute before the blast Dale and Andrea made a mad dash from the building, finding just enough time to hide from any flying and falling debris.

 

******

 

After deliberation and Walsh throwing a hissy fit, Grimes agreed that the group should head towards Fort Benning. Daryl tried to warn the group of the futility of their action, but let them be when it became clear that neither Grimes nor Walsh wanted to listen to anything he had to say, ‘cause what would an ignorant inbred redneck trailer trash like him know about strategy and planning? 

Much to Daryl’s shock, Dale was also against the idea of going to Fort Benning. He deduced that if a secure location as the CDC fell, a military base would not be secure. He tried to reason with Grimes and Walsh, pointing out that at the start of this mess, the injured were sent to the hospitals, that was why the hospitals fell first. The uninjured were first sent to schools, churches and town halls. Soon these locations either became overcrowded or they fell. As a last measure, survivors were directed to military bases. Taking in account the high number of survivors there, the probability that an infected person slipped through, was not unfeasible. Also it must be taken into account the high density of survivors would have drawn the undead like moths to a flame.

Both Walsh and Grimes dismissed their arguments. Walsh had a look of I know better than you, because I am a cop and you are nothing but (1) an old fart, well past his sell by date and (2) an ignorant redneck hillbilly piece of shit. Rick just agreed to everything Walsh had to say.

Really Grimes? Hypocrisy, thy name is Rick Grimes. Gone was all his lofty speeches of unity, of the living against the dead, of a raceless society, where the living is united in their fight against the walking undead and survival. Seems to be that his little speech only includes people on his say so. Daryl expected nothing less from either Walsh or Lori, but seeing Grimes dismiss not only him but Dale’s fears as well was an eye opener.

 

And so the group headed towards Fort Benning. Daryl contemplated leaving them in the dust, but he could not abandon the others to the idiocy that was Walsh and the Grimes’ family. It also meant they had to drive through parts of the city. Daryl brought up the rear and good thing too for Shane and his super-jeep, since the fucking thing up and died under Walsh. 

The dead were riled up by the noise of the vehicles and were closing in on their location. Walsh grabbed his bag and shotgun and took off like a bat out of hell, running after Dale’s RV, completely forgetting about Daryl in his truck behind him. Daryl had to pound on his truck’s horn to draw the attention of the other half of the super duo in the RV, before somebody opened the RV’s door, screaming at Walsh, urging him to get his ass in gear.

 

A few roadblocks forced the group to a standstill. It was close to dark and their vehicles were running on fumes, since Grimes was driving blind in the city, refusing help from Glenn, but listening to the sage advice of his wife and Walsh. Talk about idiots leading the blind. Lori was whining about a safe place to stay for the night, forgetting if she just shut her big fat mouth they could spend the night in the RV and any roaming dead would pass them by.

At last Glenn reminded Grimes about the Vatos. Since they helped the group, they should not mind hosting them for the night and come first light, the men could leave, siphoning gas from vehicles and they’d be on their merry little way. Maybe they could even convince the group to come with them, the elderly would receive medical care and medicine at Fort Benning.

Daryl knew they were going to be sorely disappointed at the welcome they’ll receive at Fort Benning, but this was the Grimes and Walsh Show and those two refused any and all advice, other than whatever Lori spewed from her various orifices.

It was close to dusk when their little caravan reached the Vatos hide-away. Daryl was immediately uneasy. It was too quiet. The courtyard that led to the only entrance to the retirement home seemed dead. Lori nearly became walker bait as she walked right into the claws of a walker, a quick arrow from Daryl saved her life. Not that the ungrateful cow thanked him, but he did it anyway and would do it again. Nobody, not even Walsh deserves to be ripped to pieces by the undead.

Daryl was the only one who noticed the clothing and especially the leather jacket of the walker. He recognized it as one of the Vatos, one of the multitude of young gangbangers who stayed to defend the old people. Since the first walker showed up, Daryl saw gangbangers defending the defenceless, whom they owed nothing and saw the so called good guys screwing their fellow survivor over. Just goes to show, never just a book by its cover. On some of the survivors the veneer of humanity was so thinly spread, they would revert to savages at the drop of a hat. Even the walkers were better than those savages, at least it was nothing personal when they ripped a chunk of meat from your ass.

The found the bodies of the Vatos and their charges in the Rec room. Daryl noticed the position of the bodies as well as the bullet holes. They were made to kneel and executed. Some low-life, piece of shit, invaded the retirement home and coldly executed the old people and their protectors.

Lori made retching noises and for once tried to shield her son from the carnage. Walsh and Grimes circled the room. None in their group was untouched by the dead in the room. Dale really did not want to see the bodies of the old people, maybe it cut too close to home. He was, after all, dependant on the good graces of the group he was in.

“What happened here?”

Andrea turned towards Carol and said, with a haughty tone, “It’s obvious. They got overrun by walkers.

Daryl just could not help himself and snorted. They absolute stupidity of some people. They stumble through life with their heads so far up their asses. Andrea whipped around, nearly breaking her own neck, gave Daryl a just shut the fuck up you stupid Redneck hick look and asked, “Something to say?”

It’s been a long day and Daryl just could not handle the idiocy of the group any longer. He leaned forward, “Yeah, how about observant?”

“Observant? Big word from a guy like you. Three whole syllables.”

Walsh snickered in the background. He loved it when somebody knocked Dixon down a peg or two. Did not happen often enough.

Daryl calmly shouldered his bow. Jesus, these people really were clueless and with Tweedle Dum and Tweedle Dee leading the pack and Lori and Andrea vying for Queen Bitch, they were going to lose more survivors than they already had.

“Walkers didn’t do this. Geeks didn’t show up till all this went down. Somebody attacked this placed. Killed all these people and took whatever they wanted. They’re all shot in the head. Execution style. Y’all worried about walkers. I’d be more worried about the people who came here and did this.”

Pointing to his head, Daryl rubbed salt in the wounds, “Get a dictionary. Look it up. OBSERVANT.”

With that he left the room, they were going to stay the night. Executed Vatos and pensioners or not. They had no other choice. Slipping towards the stairs, Daryl built a barrier, they should post guards here. Not only against the dead, but also should those motherless bastards or any of their ilk come back. 

Looking through the building the group found a couple of cans of beans, this with the chocolate Walsh pocketed at the CDC was their dinner that night. Daryl made sure the children and women received their plates first. Walsh was the only man in their group to grumble about this before grabbing a plate as if it was the last one. After every one had a plate of beans and some chocolate, Daryl took his plate. 

He took up position in the door, keeping an eye out on the stairway, wondering how to broach the subject of guard duty during the night. Dale and Glenn saw the fortification Daryl made. Both men respected the quiet redneck. Dale was a little put off with Daryl’s tone at Andrea, but she was looking for it. She was unnecessarily harsh towards the man. Not everybody used to be rich, successful lawyers. The way Dale saw it, the blue collar worker had a better chance of survival than the intellectuals, they were used to hardship in a way the scholars never were.

Besides, there was something about Daryl Dixon. The man seemed like he was nothing more than an ignorant redneck, but Dale saw how Daryl followed every conversation, nothing seemed to slip past the young man’s guarded eyes. Even his expected temper tantrums seemed scripted. As if Daryl realized, as soon as he and his brother stepped foot in the camp, they would be judged and found wanting. It was as if he acted the way the rest of their group expected him to.

Dale cleared his throat. “Rick. Shane. The stairs have been barricaded and I do believe we are safe for at least the night, but maybe we should post guards for the night? Just to make sure we don’t get overrun or the people who murdered these people do not come back?”

Shane was a bit irritated. He wanted to be the one who suggested guard duty and the one to belittle not only Dixon but Rick as well for not thinking about barricading the stairwell. Now it seems as if Dixon, on orders from the old man barricaded the stairs and Dale “Limp Dick” Harvorth suggested guard duty. His first instinct was to tell the old bastard that he was being stupid, they did not need guards for the night, but he must protect his family. Lori may be a bit pissed at him now, but she’ll crawl back to him. She always does. Hell, they’ve been carrying on for so long now, Carl could be his kid. He never asked and Lori never told. Rick seems to believe the boy is his. He loved Carl, even if he was not his biological child, but Walsh grew up dirt poor with lofty dreams of champagne and caviar. His only choice was to join the Sheriff’s Department straight out of high school, by then his dreams of becoming a football god were shattered. The Grimes family were rich. He knew of several stocks and bonds, shares, a trust fund or two. They never flaunted their money though. Carl would have a better life than he could ever give him.

Whereas Walsh’s only choice was becoming a cop, Rick Grimes really wanted to be a cop. For Walsh it was a job, for Grimes a calling. Somewhere along the way, hell about the same time Lori decided she was head over heels in love with Rick Grimes and gave him his very first blow job, Rick lost his passion. Rick could not see it, but his blind love for his wife and his best friend, was making him blind and arrogant. Back home everybody knew about Mrs Grimes stepping out with her husband’s best friend and partner at the Police Department, everybody but Rick. He was blind to his friend’s faults. He overlooked Walsh’s bad temper and the way he treated women.

Lori Grimes was the pretty small town girl, destined to make it big. But pretty small town girls making it big are a dime a dozen. She was unable to become Miss USA, as her only talent was sucking like a hoover, but it was not really a talent she could showcase on national television, thus she was unable to escape small town life as a beauty queen. Her acting talent was atrocious, the only person who ever believed her fake tears and acting was Rick, but then she could use her blow job giving talent on the idiot. Given that fucking and fucking people over was her forte, she could have become a porn star, but Lori wanted to be respected and loved. She wanted to be the pillar in the community. The one church elders turned to if they needed something done. So she stayed a small town girl.

She did seduce Rick Grimes. She figured she’d be married to the sap, pop out a kid, if the child happens to be a boy, so much the better. Maybe he’ll get killed in the line of duty, maybe she could drive the idiot up the wall, divorcing him and draining him and his trust fund dry. She really thought she struck gold when her dear husband was shot in the line of duty, but of course the world had to end. At least Walsh was there, he had a short temper and treated women like chattel, but he could do the most sinful things with his tongue and his dick was to die for. And then the world ended and Rick was not as dead as she had thought. She was worried that Rick would find out about her and Shane. She suspected that Dale suspected something. Nosy old man was always sticking his nose in everybody’s business. Dixon knew, of that she was sure, but nobody would believe him. He was nothing but a low life anyway and if she would ever suspect that he was scraping his inbred genes together to rat her out, she’ll just tell Rick that Dixon tried to rape her. Her dear husband always believed everything she told him.

 

The survivors settled in for the night. A guard rotation was set up. Carol cried silently for the old people executed in this very building, she cried for the men who stayed to protect them, she cried for Ed, she cried for the life she suffered under his iron fists. But deep down she knew, to have Sophia, she would face it all again.

 

Daryl woke up at three the next morning, he would be on guard duty until sunrise. As soon as they have filtered enough gas to fill the various vehicles and a few spare canisters, they would be off. On their way to Fort Benning. Where the group would once again be disappointed. They expected the base to be standing. They expected safety. What they would find is death and destruction. Daryl knew they would not believe him if he told them about Fort Benning. They needed to witness it for themselves. He did not want to stay with the group, not with Walsh leading the pack, Grimes following like a lost puppy and Lori Grimes crowning herself as the Queen of the Apocalypse. But he needed to stay, who else was going to protect weak in the group? Grimes’ only concern was his wife and son. Walsh only cared about his mistress and her child.

Not for the first time Daryl wondered just when the affair between Lori Grimes and Shane Walsh began. And whose son was Carl Grimes? The way Walsh looked at and after the boy made him wonder.


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> For disclaimer : See chapter 1.  
> Thus - still not mine.

Daryl tried to warn them. Dale tried to warn them. But Walsh and Grimes convinced the rest of the group that their salvation was to be found at Fort Benning. Andrea turned on Dale like a feral animal. 

“Are you happy now Dale? I could have been over for me! I would have been with my parents and Amy, but no, you had to guilt me into leaving the CDC. Then you convinced me that Fort Benning would be a safe haven…”

Daryl just rolled his eyes. Dale told the group over and over again that he believed Fort Benning fell. But nobody listened to Daryl and Dale. In the eyes of Walsh and Grimes they were nothing. Dale was just an old man and Daryl nothing but an uneducated nobody.

Once again there was a bit discord in the group. Nobody knew where to go. Daryl was thinking that their best bet was to find a small town, which could easily be fortified. The houses on the outskirts could form part of the wall, windows facing outwards could be barricaded and the open spaces between the houses and roads could be walled in. 

They could plant crops and keep a few animals such as chickens, pigs and maybe if they were lucky a cow or two for fresh food and scavenge the countryside for other treasures. The camp at the quarry was a good idea, but the location was flawed. There was really only one viable road to and from their campsite. The problem with Walsh and Grimes in charge was that he could not be the one to make the suggestion. They would shoot it down, just because he suggested it. Dale could make the suggestion. He was the voice of reason in the camp. Everybody trusted him and whilst Walsh may treat the old man like shit on occasion, Dale was also the only man who could give advice to the volatile ex-deputy.

 

Walsh and Grimes was in yet another pissing contest. They’ve been screaming at each other for the past hour. Both men wanted to be the alpha male of the group. Both men wanting to decide the fate of the rest of the group, without consulting the other survivors, as if they were children. For some strange reason both men were willing to listen to the screeching advice from Lori. Queen Lori flip-flopped between the arguments of the two men with the grace of a seasoned politician.

After an hour of screaming the two men decided to toss a coin, the winner deciding the fate of the group. Grimes won and chose to head west, trying to look for a safe haven. Lori tried to calm her lover down, but Walsh was having none of it. In a manner befitting of a thirteen year old girl, Walsh slammed the door of the RV behind him and proceeded to sulk as if it was an Olympic sport and he was a contender for the gold medal.

 

After an hour of driving, Rick stopped the caravan. He decided they would abandon the back roads and proceed towards the highway, in an effort to conserve their fuel. They could also siphon gas from any stalled vehicles and loot them to boot. Glenn jumped into the truck with Daryl. Daryl did not ask and Glenn did not tell, but it was clear the young man could not stand another second in the same vehicle as Walsh.

When they encountered a traffic jam on the highway, Daryl removed Merle’s bike from the back of the truck, scouting ahead, looking for a clear path for the rest of the group to follow. The pile-up of cars were twice as long as the mess outside of Atlanta, but at least not as dense and for a while Daryl lead the group through the abandoned vehicles.

Daryl turned around and head back towards the group. There was no way forward. He could make it on his bike, but there was no space for the vehicles. They either had to turn around and find an alternative route, wasting precious fuel. Or they could waste time clearing the pile-up. Or they could abandon their vehicles, go on foot and liberate new vehicles at the end of the traffic jam. It was three very shitty options. Whatever Grimes and Walsh decided the rest of the group would suffer.

Daryl started making a mental list of their options. Option 1: Grimes decided the group should turn back and look for an alternative route. The only positive outcome would be that the way back, but only up to a point. They would waste time and fuel. Fuel they did not have to waste. They did not know the condition of the roads. What Grimes should have done was send out scouts before deciding on a route.

Option 2: Grimes decides to press forward. They would remove the vehicles blocking their way and loot them in their wake. He, Grimes and Walsh could clear the traffic jam. The rest could bring up the rear, looting the vehicles. Chances of finding ammunition, extra weapons, food, medicine and fuel were high. It was however dangerous and tedious work for both groups. But this would be the best option. 

Option 3: Grimes decides that they would press forward, but abandon their current vehicles, hoping to find new vehicles at the end of the traffic jam. This really was the least viable and most dangerous of the options. There is no guarantee that they would find suitable vehicles and in the meantime the group would be exposed in the open. If the group only consisted of men, Daryl would be all for this option. But there were three women, two children and an elderly man in their group. There was no way in hell that Daryl would support this option.

 

“We’ve got problems, Grimes. The road is blocked for more than a mile. I had to weave between the cars, but there’s no way in hell any of the other vehicles will make it through.”

 

Daryl did not even acknowledge Walsh, but that did not stop the stupid prick asking, “Are you sure?”

 

Daryl wanted to say “What the fuck ya stupid prick? Did I imagine myself speaking English, but what actually passed my lips were Swahili?”, but after careful consideration, just sighed and confirmed that he was sure.

By then the rest of the peanut gallery gathered around the three men. Lori was charging herself up for yet another meltdown. Daryl quickly laid out the three available options. Walsh griped, wanting to know if there was another option. At this Daryl lost his temper, thank god for rednecks, since this allowed him to be an uncouth bastard at times.

“Unless ya’ll are able to sprout wings like a fucking bird and fly us the fuck out of here, then no, there ain’t no other option available.”

Carol made a half-hearted attempt to tut and admonish the man for his bad language. Ed had her nearly convinced she was stupid and not allowed her own opinion, but even she understood they had only three options. She just hoped Rick would not choose option three.

Ten minutes later Grimes made up his mind. He, Walsh and Daryl would clear a path for their caravan to drive through. Dale would act as lookout from his RV, while the rest of the group scavenge the rest of the vehicles for any supplies. Daryl felt like throwing his arms in the air, screaming “Hallelujah!” Two solid plans in less than a month. It must be a record for the man.

Walsh, being the King of Douchebags, complained about something. Daryl wondered if the idiot finally realized even a walker’s intelligence level was higher than his own. Lori decided to throw in her two cents worth. The rest of the group began looting the cars, but not Princess Cupcake. Nope, she just stood there, hands on her hips, telling Grimes that she did not like this place, that this was a graveyard.

Well what did you think you silly cow? The whole fucking planet was nothing but a graveyard these days. And the quicker you start pulling your weight, instead of prancing about as if you’re about to be crowned Mrs Universe, the quicker they would be done with this place. But as usual she let all the others work, whilst she complained.

Daryl left the group to loot the cars behind them. They needed to siphon gas and as much as they could. The others could look for supplies such as clothes, food, medicine and additional ammo and weapons. T-Dog accompanied him.

 

Apparently Carl and Sophia found something they were not supposed to, since Daryl could hear the hysterics of Lori. Broken pieces of her screeching voice carried towards them.

“…you thinking…don’t ever touch…dangerous…”

Lady, the whole fucking world is dangerous. Why don’t you rather let either your husband or your lover instruct your son in ways to protect himself and to respect whatever weapon he holds than screaming like a fucking banshee attracting the dead from sixty counties over?

T-Dog just rolled his eyes. Rick really needed to get control of his wife. One of these fine days she was going to get them killed.

Daryl and T-Dog just moved from car to car, siphoning fuel as they went, giving the interiors a quick once over for anything valuable.

The banshee’s lover was the next to go off like an air raid siren. From what Daryl could hear Einstein discovered a truck full of bottled water and felt the need to hoot and holler. Did those three share one brain cell between them? What part of staying as quiet as possible did they not understand?

 

A few minutes later Daryl glanced back towards the RV, his blood ran cold. A horde of walkers were shuffling towards them. The lack of screams and snarls convinced Daryl that Dale saw the danger and the rest of the group was able to hide. The only two still in the open and in danger was him and T-Dog. He slipped towards the man, quietly making him aware of the danger. 

Daryl just made himself comfortable underneath one of the vehicles when he heard the soft hiss of man coming from T-Dog. Without second thought he slipped from his hiding place, creeping up behind one of the walkers, quickly shoving his knife into the rotting brain of the walker. T-Dog was clutching his left arm, clamped across a long bleeding gash. The smell of fresh blood was bound to attract the dead.

Silently Daryl made T-Dog lie down, throwing the dead walker on top of him and dragging another corpse over in an attempt to hide the smell of fresh blood. The horde was just behind them, Daryl had no time to hide beneath a car. He yanked another corpse from its final resting place, hiding beneath it, hoping for the best.

As soon as Daryl pulled the corpse over himself, the horde reached them. The air was thick with the stench of walkers, making his eyes tear up. More than a week later Daryl would still dream of the overwhelming stench and the groans that surrounded him. It could have been a minute or it could have been a week, but finally the last walker stumbled past them. Daryl shoved the corpse off him, glad to smell fresh air again, glad that he could hear anything but the groans of the damned.

From the direction of the RV came a high scream. Daryl’s stomach dropped. He recognized the voice. It was Sophia. Without waiting for T-Dog Daryl ran back towards the rest of their group and by the time he reached them both the girl and Grimes were missing. Daryl hopped over the guard rail, intent on following Grimes, but Walsh yanked him back, convincing him that Rick would come back with the girl. The rest of the group needed him if there was more trouble.

Later Daryl would berate himself for staying. He should have known that Grimes would fuck it up. But at that moment, he listened to Walsh and stayed to protect the rest of the group.

Two hours later Rick Grimes stumbled from the woods, without Sophia...


	6. Chapter 6

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> DISCLAIMER : See Chapter 1.

“Oh God, where is she? Rick, where is Sophia?”

Carol was wringing her hands. Grimes was covered in blood and sweat. With a dazed look in his eyes the man turned towards Carol.

“She’s not back yet? I had to hide her, there was two walkers following us and I had to lead them away…”

Daryl could not believe his ears. How the hell could he leave a scared little girl in the woods? He would not leave his son behind, so why would he leave somebody else’s child behind?

Rick could see the disgust in the eyes of most of the group and explained.

“I found her but two walkers was behind her. I could not fire my gun. I was afraid that the noise would attract more walkers, so we ran. I had to make a decision and told Sophia to hide and I drew the walkers away.”

 

Grimes led the group to the small stream and the place where he told Sophia to hide. Of course he was worried about her, but he did tell her to hide. It was not his fault if she left the hiding place. He told her to stay put. She was too heavy, he could not carry her and evade the walkers. Besides he had to get back to the group, he had to get back to his wife and son. Shane stood next to him, agreeing that Sophia acted stupidly by first running from the highway and then leaving the hiding place Rick found her.

Daryl stood to the side. Of course Grimes and Walsh would partner up. Grimes’ first priority was Lori and Carl then came his “brother” Walsh. The rest of the group had to live with whatever scraps they deemed fit. Would either of the two pricks be this calm if it was Carl? Walkers were slow as shit, especially in the woods. Sophia is a little girl. Grimes could have run with her.

The place he made the kid hide was not even secure. At the very least he could have helped her up a tree and after getting rid of the walkers come back to her. But the idiot left her in an unsecure hiding place and after either evading the walkers or destroying them went back to the highway instead of the place he left a frightened young child. As for blaming her from bolting from the highway, what the fuck did Walsh expect? She’s a kid. Kids do stupid things when they get scared.

Daryl found a small embankment littered with Sophia’s small footsteps. He called towards the other three men. For a while Sophia was on the right track, heading back towards the highway, then she suddenly veered into the woods. Squatting Daryl showed the three men the tracks. It was clear they did not have a clue as to what they were looking at, but pretended to know anyway.

“How do you know she went the right direction? She was scared out of her mind and would not be able to find her own left hand.”

Daryl just sighed, why the hell he insisted on tramping through the woods…

“Y’all just listen. Up until now, the girl was going in the right direction. Something spooked her and she left the trail. I don’t know what happened, ‘cause there’s no other tracks here. No animal tracks and certainly no walker tracks. The fact is that I don’t need all of y’all bumbling around me. Y’all is just mucking up the trail, making it harder for me to track the kid. I’ll keep one of you to keep a lookout for any walkers especially if we find the girl.”

Neither Walsh nor Grimes were too happy about it, they did not like the redneck ordering them around, but they needed his compliance to find Sophia. Who knows what he might do if they refuse to do as he says. Dixon was the only tracker in their group and they also needed the man to hunt for food. 

Rick really wanted to go back to camp to be with Lori and Carl, but he was the one who left a little girl behind and he needed the respect of the group to hold on to his leadership, so he volunteered and sent Shane and Glenn back to the highway.

Silently Shane Walsh was seething. This could have been the perfect opportunity to be the hero once again and Dixon could have suffered a little accident in the woods. He disliked, no, hated the Dixon brothers the second he met them. They were nothing but trouble. It was a new world and in the new world there was no space for inbred redneck hicks like the Dixons. The fact that the camp needed those two bastards for fresh meat irritated him even more.

Accidents happens fast in the woods. Nobody would have mourned the death of yet another Dixon. Just look how easy it was to get rid of the elder Dixon brother. Just one whisper and Merle Dixon was gone. The fact that Rick was the one who caused Merle’s demise was like chocolate to a fat chick.

But Shane was a patient man. It would be for the best anyway. Keep Dixon around until they found sanctuary. There would be other hunters there, and they would not need him for food. But Dixon will leave, either on his own volition or a tragic hunting accident. If he was real lucky he would be able to get rid of Rick and the redneck at the same time.

 

\------

 

Daryl spotted the chunky walker. There was fresh blood around its mouth. Silently signalling towards Grimes they took the walker down. He really did not want to do this, but they needed to know. The girl’s tracks were destroyed by wildlife and stumbling walkers. Hopefully the girl did not cross paths with this dead bastard.

Grimes wanted to be the one to cut open the walkers stomach, but the green tinge in his face and the hesitant grip on his knife, convinced Daryl that Grimes would only succeed in stabbing himself and barfing all over Daryl.

Daryl removed his hunting knife, pulled on his old hunting gloves and with a final breath and a silent prayer, sliced the walker’s stomach open. Bastard had himself a nice meal not long ago. Pieces of fresh meat still clung to its teeth. Daryl poked inside the fat bastard’s body, finally locating the stomach. It was filled with something.

Daryl made sure to have running commentary to whatever he was doing at the time. He was fairly certain that whatever the dead bastard ate it was not the girl, but Grimes did not know it and he was still pissed at the ex-deputy for leaving the girl behind. It pleased him to see the man struggling to keep the vomit down. 

Seconds after Daryl speared the skull of the woodchuck on the tip of his knife, waving it in the face of Grimes, the man lost his lunch. Bits and pieces of the food he ate splattered the contents of the walker’s stomach. Serves you right, stupid fucking prick. Leaving a scared little girl to fend for herself in the woods. Daryl may be a good man and sometimes a nice man, but he never claimed to be a saint.

 

An hour later he had to abandon the search. The sun was going down and he lost Sophia’s trail hours before. He could pick up the search at first light. Daryl was more than willing to spend the night in the woods, it was not as if the little girl would be spending the night in the lap of luxury. But Grimes had other ideas, he wanted to go back to the highway, but was completely lost. He would never find his way back and then Daryl would have to search the woods for his stupid ass as well. He would just leave a daybreak hoping to pick up the kid’s trail.

 

Carol collapsed when she saw the two men returning without Sophia. She saw the blood on Daryl’s clothing and started sobbing. 

“We found a lone walker and took him out.” Seeing the look on Carol’s face, Daryl quickly continued, “Your little girl never crossed paths with him. We made sure.” 

Daryl did not volunteer how they exactly made sure and for once even Walsh understood that they sliced the dead thing’s stomach open to see what they could see.

“Why did you stop looking?”

This was more difficult to answer. How do you tell a distraught mother that they had to abandon the search because it was getting dark? That even if he continued searching for her, he might miss the kid’s tracks or even destroy them. That all they could do was hope and pray the lost little girl finds a safe place to spend the night and maybe he could pick up her trail and find her before lunch. How do you tell her something like that and not seem like a total heartless prick?

Rick, winner of the Mr Sensitivity of Georgia title, and being the erstwhile Sheriff’s Deputy from way over yonder, decided he should be the bearer of bad news. Besides, he was still running around in his police uniform with his jaunty deputy’s hat on his head. Daryl wondered when the man would realize neither the dead nor the living gave two flying fucks about his snappy uniform and hat.

“Carol, we’ll look again tomorrow morning. We can’t see anything out there and would only be destroying any evidence of Sophia if we trample through the woods in the dark.”

Fire flashed in Carol’s eyes. For too long she lived in the dark shadow of Ed, for too long she was too afraid to open her mouth and speak for herself.

“So you would leave Sophia in the dark alone? Could you not have made camp where you were and start from there? Do you even care that my little girl is all alone in the woods after you abandoned her there?”

At this Lori decided it was a good a time as any to let her voice be heard. She snapped at Carol for not keeping an eye on her kid, as if Carl was safely in her arms when the horde swept through. Daryl restrained Carol and gave a whispered promise that he would resume searching for her little girl as soon at first light.

 

Daryl was still awake. The sounds of breathing and snoring filled the cabin of the RV. He could hear the sobs of Carol. She was also still awake. Dale was still on the roof of the RV, keeping watch. Since the horde stumbled past them, Andrea was even more pissed at Dale. It seems that Andrea did not search the vehicles, but rather went into the RV and practise putting her prized pistol apart. She did not know about the trouble until she happened to look up and see a walker stumbling by. From what Daryl understood Andrea hid in the small washroom and nearly became walker food when she dropped the firing pin. Dale was lying on the roof of the RV and quietly dropped a screwdriver, which enabled Andrea to stab the walker in the brain. But still she was pissed at the old man.

With a sigh, Daryl rose, grabbed his bow and exited the RV. Carol’s sobbing bothered him. He’d rather sweep the woods near the highway, hoping to find any sign of Sophia. Andrea quickly followed him.

 

Daryl wished Andrea would keep quiet. It was not as if the dead needed their beauty sleep and her voice was sure to attract every walker in the vicinity. Between silly stories about her and Amy she seeked assurances from Daryl that Sophia would be alright.

In a last ditch effort to silence the blonde woman Daryl told her about the time he got lost in the woods. How, after nine days of trying to find his way home, eating berries and wiping his ass with poison ivy he stumbled a familiar part of the woods, found his way home and made himself a peanut butter sandwich. It was the woods of Georgia, not the jungles of the Amazon. As long as Sophia finds a safe place to hole up for the night she would be fine.

 

A slight creaking accompanied with quiet moans led Daryl and Andrea to an abandoned campsite. The creaking and moaning turned out to be at what used to be a man, who seemed to try and commit suicide, but ended having his legs chewed off by roaming walkers. A note pinned to his chest carried his suicide note. It just seemed wrong that this guy tried to make light of his last moments on earth and failed miserably at that.

“Got bit.  
Fever hit.  
Word gone to shit.  
Might as well quit.”

Waving towards the hanging geek he remarked, “Look at him, hanging there like a piñata. Other walkers just came by, chomping on his legs…”

Besides finding the swinging geek, Daryl found no other signs of life or the dead pretending to be alive. He quietly steered them back towards the RV, where he ushered her and Dale to go to sleep. 

The rest of the night passed quietly and when Grimes relieved him from guard duty, Daryl locked himself into his truck for a little shuteye. Come daybreak he’ll try and find Sophia’s tracks, he can’t go through another day seeing Carol’s grief.


	7. Chapter 7

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> DISCLAIMER : Still not mine.

Grimes, in all his wisdom, decided it would be a good idea for a whole search party. So following him, like he was the ugliest mother duck ever, came Grimes, his kid Carl, Lori, Carol, Andrea and then Walsh. Dale stayed with the RV, in the event should Sophia turn up. Glenn stayed to loot the vehicles and fix the RV, T-Dog stayed behind to assist. Since sunrise Walsh has been grumbling that the girl must be dead and they should just all cut their losses and leave.

Daryl guessed that Dale told a white lie about the amount and severity of the repairs on the RV, just to buy them a bit of time. More than once Daryl wanted to punch Walsh in the face, every time he complained about the time spent searching for a girl, that was most probably dead, Carol started crying.

The fucking useless prick even started spewing statistics of missing children. Did the stupid fucktard think Sophia was kidnapped by some creep and either held as ransom or to be sold into slavery? The old world was dead and gone. The new world came with its own sets of rules and the girl could just be hiding somewhere, still scared shitless, but still alive. Would he abandon the search so quickly if the kid in question was Carl?

 

In a clearing they came upon a campsite, the tent closed up tight. Daryl could see the silhouette of a person on the inside. Daryl crept towards the tent, whispering instructions to the line behind him. Daryl peeked inside the tent, before carefully sliding the door open. It was clear the silhouette he saw was that of a dead, a truly dead, person. The body of what used to be a man slumped in a chair, a pistol dangling from his right arm. He shot himself in the head, either he was bit and took himself out or he lost hope and his will to live and opted out.

Daryl carefully removed the pistol and quickly checked the tent. Sophia had not been here, she would not have spent the night in a tent with a dead and she would not have closed the tent opening behind her. Exiting the tent, leaving it to the dead, Daryl informed the group of the body in the tent and lack of signs of the girl.

Daryl carefully led the group deeper into the woods, hoping to find tracks of the child. He just hoped Walsh and Grimes would act as lookouts for any walkers or the girl. Carol was too distraught to notice anything, Lori was acting bitchy towards her son, her husband and her lover. Andrea was still angry because Dale took her pistol away, fearing she would blow her own head of and when they started this morning both Walsh and Grimes refused to hand her a weapon. The only fire-arms were carried by Grimes and Walsh. The women each received a machete, along with the men. Remembering Lori screeching at Carl the previous day, it seemed as if Carl and Sophia found a cache of knives, machetes and hatchets.

The search was going nowhere fast. There was no sign of Sophia, but he kept his face neutral. He would not be the one to inform Carol that he’s unable to find her daughter, besides the day was still young. He may yet stumble across her trail. 

There was a lull in conversation. For a moment Andrea stopped bitching of the unfairness of not being given a pistol. Lori stopped sniping at Carl (for talking to Walsh, even though he did not understand why he was suddenly forbidden from speaking to the man his mother shoved down his throat) at Walsh (for interfering in her marriage and the way she’s raising her son) and Carol (for questioning Grimes’ motives when he left Sophia alone in the woods). It was during this rare lull that church bells started ringing. 

Still running towards the church Daryl could appreciate the quaint building. It was one of those churches rich Hollywood starlets would marry their current-love-of-their-life. Even now the grounds seemed well cared for and the church itself was not marred with blood, grime or bullet holes. For a brief moment one could forget about the horrors in the world. At this moment in time the dead stayed dead and death had truly lost its teeth.

As soon as they entered the building however, reality came crashing back. A few people came to church, hoping for salvation. This was also their final resting (unresting) place. A female walker lurched to her feet. She was still in her wedding dress. The dress hang in tatters from her desiccated corpse, the bridal veil a bloody crumpled mess on top of her head. A whistle from Daryl made sure she paid attention to him. He took no pleasure in dispatching her, the dress that should have been the first day of her life was now a garish funeral robe. Daryl wondered what happened to the groom? He refused to contemplate the fates of the ring bearer and flower girl. At least their bodies were not in the church and he could hope that they escaped and lived happily ever after in Never-Never Land.

One by one the group left the inside of the church. Walsh and Grimes to try and switch of the ringing church bells, which turned out to be an automated recording since there the building lacked a belfry and bells. Daryl walked up the aisle, checking between the pews to make sure there weren’t any nasty surprises hidden. Stopping in front of the wooden cross with the figure of Jesus on it, he shook his head and asked, “Yo, J.C. Takin’ any requests?”

Neither waiting for nor expecting an answer, Daryl left the church. Sophia was not here and he doubt that she even came here. Making himself at home against a tree, Daryl lit one of his cigarettes, keeping an eye on his companions. Grimes was talking to Carol, trying to console her, trying to convince her not to lose hope. Carl sank down on the grass, resting, thinking about whatever little boys thought of these days. Andrea stood by the side, spying on Walsh and Lori. Walsh and Lori slipped around the side of the church, having a hushed argument. A few minutes later Lori stormed away from Walsh and joined her son. Andrea slipped around the corner, now having her own hushed conversation with Walsh.

Daryl figured that Walsh is getting tired waiting for Lori. It may have been fun to carry on an affair in the old world, but he got used being with her since they announced that Lori was a widow. People back at the quarry accepted the little group. Their own little instant family of the apocalypse. But Rick Grimes was not as dead as they all had believed. And Shane Walsh again had to slip back into the role of mere family friend and trusty side-kick to the wonderful and exalted Rick Grimes.

 

Grimes and Walsh volunteered to keep searching for Sophia. For some reason they seemed confident that they would be able to spot her tracks, convincing Daryl to take the women and Carl back to the highway. Carl then convinced his father that he wanted to stay with him and this led to a semi-argument between the spouses, a fight that Grimes and son won.

Grimes committed the ultimate faux pas by handing his pistol to Lori, since both Grimes and Walsh knew that Lori completed a course in weapon training and was a competent enough shot. This led to Andrea bitching about the unfairness of it all and how Lori was handed the pistol just because she was Grimes’ wife. Daryl started to develop a headache. He wondered if Carol would snitch on him if he “accidently” mistook both bitching queen wannabees in the woods, but ultimately decided against that course of action, since it would be feasible if he was an incompetent idiot like Walsh, but he could not claim to have mistaken either harpy for a walker.

 

Against his better judgement, Daryl led the three women back towards the highway. At least he could dump the two on Dale, Glenn and T-Dog and make himself scarce by raiding vehicles along the road.

Lori pranced behind Daryl. She was happy that Rick handed her the pistol, sure he gave it to her, because he knew the extent of her skill with the fire-arm and Andrea’s skill was still untested, but he gave it to her. Lori did not like Andrea. The blonde woman was smarter and prettier than her and she saw the doe eyes the woman gave Shane. Just because she was done with Shane – at the moment – it did not mean she would not welcome Shane back sometime in the future.

The truth of it was that Lori disliked any woman that was confident or smart or pretty. She tolerated Morales’ wife back at the quarry, because the woman was fat and totally committed to her equally dumpy husband. She tolerated Carol, because the woman was as timid as a new-born baby mouse and even though Carol had a beautiful body, she hid it behind ugly frumpy clothes and tried to melt away with the shadows. She neither liked nor disliked Jacqui, because the black woman made it clear that she was still in love with her dead husband and only kept company with Jim, besides she was now dead and her momma raised her to respect the dead. She greatly disliked Amy, the girl was bubbly, blonde, blue eyed, with a sunny and friendly disposition and still seemed like a blushing innocent little virgin. But since Amy was also now deceased Lori vowed not to hate the dead girl as much.

 

Andrea switched between moods, the one moment she was sulking, silent and brooding. She deserved to be handed a fire arm. How dare Rick Grimes dismiss her as if she was nothing more than a little girl? She went to university. She had a law degree. She used to be the youngest partner at a prestigious law firm and her speciality was civil rights. Racists like Dixon and sexists like Grimes quivered in their boots when they heard her name. She was woman and damn it you will hear her roar! The next moment Andrea bitched and moaned to the unfairness of it all.

Carol kept quiet, silent tears rolled across her cheeks. She was silently saying goodbye to her little girl. If Daryl was unable to find any trace of her child and the only two allowed to search for her kid was Rick Grimes, who left Sophia to fend for herself and Shane Walsh, who would not piss on you even if you were on fire, then all hope was lost in finding her child.

Daryl made the group stop, maybe if they rested a bit, the two bitches in the group would quiet down and spend time comforting Carol. He would not know how to comfort her and after a lifetime of living under the iron rule of a fucking bastard like Ed Peletier, Carol would not take kindly to comfort from a man, especially not if she believed the man to be just as rotten as Ed.

Instead of bonding, Lori turned on the other two women. She started on Andrea, telling her to shut the fuck up, before shoving the pistol in her face, nearly forcing her to take the fire arm. Andrea, being pig-headed herself, refused the gun and turned her back on her main rival.

Then, proving that the drinking water back home must be contaminated, Lori proved to be just as sensitive as both her husband and lover and scolded Carol for blaming poor Rick.

“You got to stop blaming Rick. He is doing everything he can. But Sophia did run away from us at the highway. Rick was the only one who went after her. He was the only one who cared enough to risk himself and follow Sophia into the woods. It was not Rick’s fault that they had walkers right behind him. He did everything to protect her, her showed her a hiding place and took out the walkers. It was not Rick’s fault that Sophia did not stay at the hiding place and it was not his fault that Sophia left the trail and got lost.”

Daryl nearly slapped the insensitive bitch. Sophia ran away because she was a frightened little girl. Sure Rick may have done the right thing to hide her away while he took care of the two walkers, but it was neither the smart choice nor the safest hideaway. Daryl still believed he could have picked the girl up and run with her. If circumstances were dire enough for him to hide her away so that he could take care of the two walkers, why did he not help her up a tree, where she would have been safest and hidden from view. Why did Rick, after allegedly taken care of the walkers, not return to the place he stashed Sophia? Why did he return to the highway without making sure if Sophia was not still were he left her?

Deciding the best course of action would be to get the three women back to the highway, Daryl rounded them up. Andrea stopped next to Carol, placing a hand on Carol’s arm.

“Carol, I just want you to know that I’m sorry about Sophia. I won’t say I know exactly how you feel, but I remember how I felt when Amy died. Please believe me that I’m praying for you and Sophia and her safe return.”

Daryl just snorted and interrupted their heartfelt girl-talk, “All this hoping and praying does not mean a thing. Not one damn thing. We’re going to find your little girl and she’s gonna be just fine. Good Lord, am I the only one Zen around here?”

Daryl missed the small smile on Carol’s face. His little speech did make her feel a bit better. If there was one man she believed could find Sophia, it would be Daryl Dixon.

 

The little group’s Zen faded when Andrea and Lori once again started bickering about the pistol. Losing his patience with the blond, he ripped the liberated pistol from his belt before shoving the weapon in her hands.

“There, there’s a pistol for you. I don’t know if the fucking thing will fire, because I found it in that tent and have neither cleaned nor tested it. Hopefully the fucking thing won’t explode when you try to fire it. Happy now? Now will the both of you shut the fuck up?”

In the distance they could hear something that sounded like a gunshot. Daryl was fairly certain it was a gunshot, but with the two woman bickering he could not pinpoint the direction and he needed their silence. Hopefully neither Grimes nor Walsh was stupid enough to fire their pistols for just one walker and if more shots fired, Daryl needed to head back and try to help them.

Andrea grabbed the pistol and stomped away. Angry that yet another underserving person in their group had a pistol. Angry that Daryl Dixon told her to shut up. Angry at the whole world for her misery. Her anger made her blind and Andrea before she could check if the pistol’s safety was off, or even had a chance to pull the machete, a walker was snapping at her face.

She could hear the conversation between the redneck and Lori regarding the gunshot. The hick was trying the women to hurry back towards the highway, so that he could go and investigate. Andrea was hoping they would turn around the bend sooner and help her before this thing took a bite from her flesh.

 

Daryl, Lori and Carol just rounded the bend when they saw two things at once. Andrea was pinned to the ground, grappling with a walker, trying not to get bit and charging them down was an honest to goodness farm girl on a horse swinging a baseball bat.


	8. Chapter 8

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Still not mine.

Daryl hopped over the guardrail, with Andrea and Carol following him like two little lost puppies.

“Daryl, where is the others?”

“Grimes, Walsh and little Grimes decided to search further. On the way here we heard a single gunshot and a while later a girl on a horse showed up and took Mrs Grimes with her.”

“And you just let her?”

Daryl was getting irritated. A whole day was wasted since Grimes and Walsh insisted on that all and sundry join the search and then to bugger of on their own. The two men in the group who would unable to bring back a cup of sand from the Sahara desert, because they would be unable to find sand.

“Listen old man, it was not about letting her. The girl showed up, called her by name, told her Rick sent her. She invited all of us to join them on the farm, few miles back is a turn-off. Take the road and you’ll find a board showing the way to the Greene farm. So pack up and go there.”

Carol was looking a bit panicked, “What about Sophia? What if she comes back and we are gone?”

“Ma’am, I’ll stay the night and come morning I’ll rig a notice for her, with some supplies. We could come back each morning to check if she’s come back. Believe me I will not stop searching for your little girl.”

This seemed to placate the distraught mother, but she still tried to convince Daryl that she should stay the night. Dale understood the problem. They needed to join the rest of their group on the Greene farm, Daryl could and would survive the night alone, but they also needed to get T-Dog medical assistance.

“Carol, I know you want to stay here, but we need to join the rest of our group. Daryl is going to stay the night in his truck, there really is not enough place to hide two adults should another herd sweep through and we need to get T-Dog some medical help. The cut is infected and he’s running a fever.”

Daryl gave Dale a disgusted look. “Why the hell mention it only now?”

With that he stomped over to his bike, picked the grimy red do-rag by the tips of his fingers, flinging it in the direction of Dale “And keep yer damn dirty rags of my bike!” 

Shifting through Merle’s meagre possessions, he found what he was looking for. He grabbed a bottle antibiotics and a bottle of painkillers and tossed it over to T-Dog.

“Catch. I forgot about Merle’s stash. Here's some kick-ass painkillers and quality antibiotics, none of those generic, no-name, cheap-ass shit. Merle got the clap on occasion.”

Which was a bald faced lie, Merle needed the antibiotics after he was bit by a crazy bastard when Merle stopped the bastard from beating his wife to death. The bite got infected, since a sewerage plant seemed to be cleaner and healthier than that fucker’s mouth and teeth. But he could not tell them that, they believed the Dixons to be no better than walkers and would not believe it if Daryl told them the truth, they would however believe that Merle (and by definition him) was a walking STD and besides Merle would not mind, he would laugh his ass off.

 

\------

 

Daryl sat on the porch. Carl got shot. It was nothing but a stupid accident. Shit like this even happened before, but before there were functioning hospitals. How long before Grimes and Walsh pulls their heads from their asses? When something like this happened now, you can't call 911 and the friendly operator will dispatch emergency services to your location. Medicine was hard to come by. For fuck sakes, T- Dog cut himself and if it was not for the fact that Daryl had antibiotics in his possession, the man could have died. 

Grimes and Walsh were stupid. Carl should not have been there. They already lost one child. But Daryl was more worried about Walsh. Something about his story was off. When Daryl joined the group this morning Lori was gushing about how Walsh and Otis (the guy who shot Carl) went to the local high school. A FEMA camp was set up and Hershel Greene believed they would find all the medical supplies there. 

Daryl wondered what Lori really thought when she learned her son's life was in the hands of a vet and not a doctor. But beggars can't be choosers and some medical training is better than none. Walsh came back alone with the needed supplies. 

This is where Daryl start doubting the man's story. According to Walsh when they arrived at the school, they had to slip in since the school was overrun by walkers. He and Otis found the medicine and equipment, but the shit hit the fan when they tried to leave. Walsh twisted his ankle and Otis convinced Walsh to take the gear and run. He would cover Walsh's back. Walsh really told an epic tale of heroism, sacrifice and a heartfelt plea by the man Otis that Walsh needed to get back to the farm and save the boy's life. In fact he gave his very life so that Carl may live. 

Daryl saw and heard holes in Walsh's story. From what he could ascertain Walsh and Otis left with one rifle and Grimes' Colt Python. Walsh came back with one rifle (the same one they left with) and the Python. Did Otis keep the walkers at bay with his good intentions? Walsh is a very vain man and the crowning glory of his vanity had been his hair. The man wasted time to make sure his hair was always clean and styled. Why did he suddenly decide to shave his hair? Besides, his body language was all wrong. He did not believe for one second that Otis' death was a willing sacrifice. Daryl believes that Walsh sacrificed Otis to ensure his own survival and the survival of Carl Grimes. He would once again be the hero in the eyes of Lori and young Carl. 

It seemed that Dale and Glenn wasn't buying whatever Walsh was selling, Grimes and Lori – they were buying it wholesale. The Greene family did not really have time to decide whether Walsh’s story was the truth or not. They were still reeling from the fact that Otis shot a boy, an accident, but he nearly killed a child and now the man was dead. The hovered between pride for his heroism and grief for his death. Given time to mourn, they would still celebrate the man’s heroism and mourn his death, but they would be able the bullshit that Walsh has been passing off as roses. Maybe it was time that the bag of guns was hidden. Daryl did not trust Walsh with even the idea of a water pistol, much less the real thing. 

Daryl decided that he would start the search again in the morning. He would go on his own. Thinking back to when he broached the subject of starting a search grid he grimaced at the various excuses. T-Dog was ready to go, but with the man still recovering from the infection it would be best if he stayed at the camp. He and Dale could be used as look-outs for any wandering walkers. Glenn is more of a scavenger and would return to the highway to scavenge the vehicles. Grimes did not want to leave Carl’s side. Daryl could not really fault the man for that, the kid nearly died. 

Walsh, still riding high on his heroic return with the medical equipment and medicine, made a show of getting ready to join the search party, but also made sure everybody saw him limp and wince with pain. As if Daryl really would have taken that Judas with him. Who’s to say that Walsh would not return alone again with yet another harrowing tale of sacrifice and his miraculous escape?

Daryl was also questioning just how Merle got his hands on the drugs Grimes found on him. Glenn told him that Merle stayed on the roof as lookout and did not search the building. And Daryl knew Merle did not have any drugs (other than the legal ones he gave to T-Dog). So when and where did Merle obtain the drugs? And what happened that he used again, when not even the death of his child could drive him towards drugs again?

Hershel gave Grimes a map of the surrounding area. Since Grimes refused to leave Carl’s side until the kid was on his feet again, Grimes would act as co-ordinator. He drew search grids on the map. Walsh, with his bum ankle would take a car and with Andrea riding shotgun drive to surrounding towns. Hopefully Sophia would be holed up nearby and show herself as soon as she heard a car. Grimes and Walsh wanted to send Glenn to search the woods, but Daryl quickly put stop to that. Glenn was a smart young man and has proven himself to be a survivor, but he did not know the woods. The last thing Daryl needed was to search for another lost person in the woods.

With careful manipulation, Grimes and Walsh decided that Glenn would be best put to use to return to the highway and raid the vehicles of all valuables. That would also mean someone familiar was on the highway should Sophia find her way back there.

 

\------

Daryl was back in the woods. On his own and the only sounds he heard was that of normal nature. Not even one walker stumbling through the woods. For a moment Daryl could pretend he was back at their old hunting cabin. Just him and Merle, hunting and relaxing a bit. He could almost hear Merle grumbling about the lack of deer and that dinner seemed to be squirrel – again.

Daryl wished that Sophia was not lost. That Grimes and Walsh were not such utter pricks and that he could entrust the safety of the group in the hands of them. Then he would leave them behind. Just disappear into the woods and make his own way in the world. But life was not fair. Sophia was lost. Carol was broken without her little girl. Lori was a bitch who cared more about fucking anything with a penis than her own son. Andrea was on permanent vacation in Lala Land, believing herself to be markswoman, sorry marksperson, just because she was such an uppity civil rights lawyer hell bent on gender equality. T-Dog was like a big cuddly teddy bear, eager to please, except when he was burning with fever and saw rabid racists behind every rock. Glenn was used as the doormat to Walsh and Grimes, both of them, and using the kid as their personal shopper. Dale may be wise and handy with cars, but he was old and needed all the protection he could get. And last but not least Deputies Prick and Dick, holding pissing contests for leadership of the group and affections of Lori Grimes.

As soon as Daryl saw the abandoned farm house, his spirits lifted. Maybe this house would render enough clues to the location of little Sophia. The front door was open and all the windows on the ground floor broken. But Daryl’s greatest find was in the kitchen. On the counter was an opened tin of anchovies. The oil still wet and fresh. On the side of the kitchen was a closed door, which turned out to be a small pantry. It was bare, but on the floor was blankets, rags and other material to construct a small bed. The space was small, but big enough for someone of Sophia’s size to sleep there. Daryl rushed out of the back door, calling Sophia’s name. Hoping she was still in the vicinity. 

 

\------

 

Daryl stepped into the RV. Carol cleaned the interior, washing the floor, walls and windows. She even found clean flowery curtains. The place looked nice and felt like home. This might even be the first time the interior underwent a thorough cleaning since Dale’s wife passed away.

Carol was in the back, fiddling with some needlepoint work. Daryl could tell that it was just busy work for the woman. She needed to do something to stop her from going crazy. He decided not to tell her about the little hide away in the house. It will just get her hopes up only to be dashed if they were unable to find Sophia there. He cleared his throat to gain her attention.

“Looks nice in here. Almost like home…”

He placed the Cherokee Rose in front of her on the table. He found the flower blooming outside the farmhouse and took it as a sign. He just wished there was a nice vase in the house, so the empty beer bottle had to do. Carol smiled at the flower stuck in the beer bottle.

“This is a Cherokee Rose. They say that on the Trail of Tears, many of the Cherokees died. Especially the little ones. Some died of starvation, exposure and just disappeared…  
The mothers cried for their lost children and where their tears fell these flowers bloomed.

I’m not fool enough to believe there’s any flowers bloomin’ for my brother. But this one…I believe this one bloomed for your little girl.”


	9. Chapter 9

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Still not mine. Don't believe me? Read the disclaimer at Chapter 1

They were once again arguing and stalling for time. Walsh was still making a big show of his busted ankle and how he just wish he could join the search. Andrea bitching because she wants a gun and just how unfair and sexist they all were and Grimes still as white as a sheet from the transfusions. 

Dale ended their argument. Walsh and Andrea would drive to the highway to see if Sophia showed up then they would search the smaller towns along the road. Hershell told them about an unfinished town, the development ran out of cash and then the world ran out of buyers and investors. Glenn would join Maggie on a run to the closest town, they needed medicine from the pharmacy. As soon as Lori heard Glenn was going on a run, she handed him a laundry list of supplies she just needed to have. Daryl took a look at the list and nearly punched the stupid cow. The majority of her essentials included perfume and make-up. He could understand feminine hygiene products, he could understand soap, toothpaste, shampoo and washing powder. But for the life of him he could not understand why the holy fuck she needed Chanel No 5 and hairspray?

Daryl left before he would do something he vowed never to do and that was slap a woman senseless. Standing around the truck he marked the map into search grids, showing Dale where he intended to start looking this morning. The kid once again volunteered to join them in the search and Grimes took his shaky word that Hershell knew and gave permission. Daryl did not believe a word the kid was saying. Then the little idiot had the audacity to ask for a fire-arm. With a snort Daryl walked away, “Yeah, and people in hell wants slurpees.”

If Grimes and Walsh were stupid enough to hand out guns to kids, who may or may not have permission to join the search party and who may or may not be competent enough to handle a gun. Growing up on a farm was not a given in competency and this kid was positively wet behind the ears. Daryl wondered if he mastered using his shaving kit yet, never mind a gun.

What he really wanted to do was find Hershell and ask permission to take one of the horses. He would be able to scout the land better that way and hopefully, if Sophia was near, she would be drawn to the sound of the horse, if nothing else.

 

******

 

If he ever made it out of here, he was going to kill that horse. He covered more ground and even bagged a few squirrels. The others might not mind eating from Hershell’s table without any guilt, but that was not Daryl. He did not contribute to the food, so he would not eat from the man’s table. He wished he could find a deer, getting it back to the camp would have been a breeze on horseback, but that was not to be.

Then he found Sophia’s ragdoll. The damn thing never left the kid’s arms. So seeing little Raggedy Anne floating face down the stream, both worried and gave Daryl hope. It was a bitch fetching the doll, but Daryl knew Carol would be glad for yet another sign of Sophia and Sophia, when he found her, would be glad to have her doll back.

Finding the doll was the closest to tracks he found of the little girl these past few days and this time not even Walsh and his doom-and-gloom outlook could sour the elation he felt. The previous evening, whilst telling them about the farmhouse and the signs of somebody sleeping there, everybody could see the news gave Carol hope. That little girl was the only good thing Carol ever received in life.

Then the damn horse got spooked by a snake and threw him. The memory of it was a bit hazy, he remembers going ass over kettle down the hill. The good news is that he did not break anything. The bad news is that he got himself impaled on one of his own arrows. Still, it could have been worse. At least the damn arrow did not pierce any vital organs, still it hurt like a bitch. After digging around in the water, searching for his bow, Daryl decided to take a breather. He quickly gutted one of the squirrels, eating it raw. Not one of his most favorite meals, but he was hungry and thirsty and without a way to start a fire he just had to suck it up and eat the damn thing. Would not be the first time he had to eat raw squirrel either.

Whilst eating Daryl surveyed the area. Trying to find the quickest and easiest route to the top and scouting for danger along the way. It was too quiet in the woods. It was as if even the insects were waiting on baited breath for the danger to pass. Might be that he was the one frightening him, but it seems even insects feared the walking dead and stayed quiet when they were close.

He would have liked to remove the arrow, but was afraid of the extent of the damage. Just because he thinks that he missed something vital, does not make it so. He’d rather suffer with the pain and discomfort of something foreign lodged in his body, than risk bleeding out and becoming walker chow.

 

Crawling up the embanlment was easier said than done. The ground was dry, loose and slippery. It was slow going and the pain in his side and head were killing him. Daryl kept muttering under his breath.

“Nearly there.”

“This bitch of a slope won’t beat me.”

“You’re a Dixon. Tough as nails. Nothing kills a Dixon but a Dixon.”

 

And he was nearly there, he could see the end of his climb. Panting and with what felt the last bit of his strength, Daryl reached for a small tree. Hoping the tree would give him enough leverage to get up the bank.

For a moment it seemed as if the earth shifted. Time slowed down to a snail’s pace. Daryl could see the tree rip from the loose ground, but the same time warp occurred when you burned yourself with a warm pan. His brain screamed frantically at his stupid arms to let the fuck go, but the more his brain screamed the tighter his hands gripped.

The fall was worse this time, tree branches and rocks slammed into his body and head. Halfway down the world went dark.

…  
…  
…

The sun was shining in his face. It was one of those lazy Georgia afternoons, not even the mongrel dogs from the trailer park had energy to raid the garbage bins. It was silent around the hunting cabin, home since Ma fell asleep with a bottle of moonshine and a burning cigarette and burned the trailer and herself to ashes. This means the old man must be off on a bender somewhere…what is the name of his latest girlfriend? Was it still the cocktail waitress from three towns over? Maybe I’ll grab my gear and disappear for a few days. Always best to be missing when Will Dixon comes home from his little trips. One would think he would be in a better mood after getting laid…then again it was Will Dixon, the only thing that put that mean old bastard in a good mood was when he was beating seven shades of shit out of his kids. Nobody at school would even wonder why I’m a bit dirtier than usual, one of the perks being a Dixon. All those nice rich people always expected the worst from them.

…  
…  
…

What the fuck man? I’m not a kid anymore? The fuck am I worried about school anymore. I’m not even a cop anymore. I’ll never join the FBI like I wanted to. I’ll never be able to tell Merle I’m proud of him or apologize ‘cause I abandoned the search for him in Atlanta. Instead I run around listening to Officer Dick and Officer Prick and following their orders like a good little bitch.

…  
…  
…

Winter was harsh. They’ve been without heat and electricity, since the start of winter. Will forgot to pay the bills. Again! The first two days he bitched about how they were all just fucking him over. Treating him like shit and cutting the services ‘cause they hated him. Then he disappeared. Moved from one girl to the next. How the hell does he do that? How does he get women to fall for him? Everybody knew him and how he is. But the fucking women fall all over themselves to spread their legs for him. It would be years before Daryl realized that some women were just as bad as Will Dixon, they did not mind his boozing and drugging, they lived the same way. Some women believed they could change him, making him better but they always failed and some where even corrupted to his level. Some were rich girls, rebelling against Mommy and Daddy, trying to show the world how liberal and enlightened they were, they all crawled back home, broken and bitter.

His bed was warm and Daryl really did not want to get up. He wanted to sleep a little while longer.

“What’s the matter Darleena? Little cold bothering you? You want me to bring you slippers? Maybe some coffee in bed? Read you a little poetry?”

“Shut up Merle.”

“Come on baby brother. Time to get up.”

“Fuck off Merle!”

Merle, as always, ignored Daryl. He kept on pulling and jerking on Daryl’s left leg. Daryl opened his eyes, glaring at Merle. Why the fuck was Merle bugging him? He was tired, he wanted to sleep and the stupid son of a bitch just would not leave him alone.

“Get up Daryl. You’re Grimes’ bitch now?”

This comment curdled Daryl’s blood. Nobody called him somebody else’s bitch. He was nobody’s bitch. With a snarl he opened his eyes fully. Ready to rip Merle a new one.

 

“Ain’t no bitch!”

 

A fucking motherless son of a whore walker was chewing on his left boot. At least the fuckers were as dumb as shit. With a frightened gasp, Daryl kicked at the walker. There was no way in hell that he was going to be puppy chow for one of these dead bastards.

His bow was out of reach, he would not reach the damn thing before Dudley-Do-Dead took a chunk of meat from his leg. Scuttling on his ass, still kicking at the walker, Daryl grasped blindly at anything he could use for a weapon. As soon as he felt the stick, he gripped it tightly. With a grunt Daryl slammed the piece of wood into the right eye of the walker. He was still not satisfied that the fucker was completely dead and proceeded to smash its face in. 

From the corner of his eye, Daryl noticed a second walker emerging from the bushes. At least this bastard was still far and gave Daryl the necessary time to crawl towards his bow.

 

Shit, shit, shit, motherfucker shit. The arrows were missing. At least he had one, he better make the shot count. Grunting, Daryl ripped the arrow from his own body. He’ll take a look at the damage after he killed the walker. For the first time in years Daryl struggled with his bow. The wounds he sustained from his two falls hampered him, he was dizzy and black spots danced in front of his eyes. The walker was on him before Daryl was able raise his bow and the fucker was snapping at his throat when Daryl finally shot the rotting thing in the head.

 

This time Daryl took his time. He ripped the sleeves from his shirt, using them as a makeshift bandage. As recent events proved, walkers were close by and where there were two, there were more. After, what seemed like hours, Daryl located his arrows, muddy but still whole. He secured Sophia’s doll as well as the arrows and slung his bow across his back. Once again the attempted to scale the embankment, vowing to check his handholds before putting his whole weight on it. He did not want to end up a third time in the creek.

The ascent was even slower this time. Daryl was hurt and tired and fear of tumbling down again and losing consciousness again, was not something he wanted. Especially with the knowledge that one walker got close enough to him to chew on his boot before he came to.

Thank God for hallucinations of his family. 

Daryl’s careful and methodical climb meant that he had to backtrack a few times as the ground was just too unstable, especially in his current injured state. It felt as if Daryl had been stuck on the bank forever. He wondered if he died, lying face down in the water, and this is his punishment. To forever try and scale this fucking embankment.

Punishment for abandoning his only family to a slow and painful death in Atlanta.

Punishment for losing Sophia’s trail in the woods and unable to find her.

Punishment for not mourning the death of his father.

Punishment for being unable to save the life of his partner.

Punishment for being alive whilst so many people died around him. People who were infinitely better and more deserving than him.

Punishment for being born in the first place.

…  
…  
…

“Hey Darleena! Still climbing? You should have taken the arrow out the first time you fucking dumb ass.”

 

Daryl was not surprised to hear Merle. Where else would his brother be? He was the only constant in his life and although Merle made his mistakes, he got himself cleaned up and stayed clean.

“Shut it Merle. Why did you do it?”

Merle’s eyes widened. “Do what baby brother?”

An annoyed huff. “Don’t fuck with me Merle! Why did you use again in Atlanta?”

Anger flashed in Merle’s eyes. “I promised HER that I’ll stay clean. I promised you… I’m not the best person out there, but I kept my promises to you and to my baby girl.”

Daryl really wanted to believe Merle. Merle saw the doubt in Daryl’s face.

“Why don’t you go and ask your new buddies? Ask them what happened on that roof. Just remember this baby brother, you’re a Dixon. And Dixon’s ain’t never worth shit to people like them. They use you. They keep you around ‘cause they need you, but once their done with you? Once they’ve stopped needin’ ya? They’ll leave your sorry ass behind, scrape you from the bottoms of their shoes as if you’re shit they dragged in from outside.”

Daryl wanted to tell Merle that he was wrong, but he knew the truth. Grimes and Walsh would kick him from the group as soon as he found Sophia or proven unable to do so. They did not need him for food anymore, he heard Grimes telling his wife that he was going to convince Hershell to let them stay. But it did not mean he would stop looking for the little girl. He was not that kind of person. The one who would fuck everybody over, just to secure his own safety. If they kick him out, they kick him out. Merle was right. He was a Dixon and Dixon’s were tough. 

“If they kick me out, they kick me out. They need me more than I need them. You know I don’t like or trust that fucker Walsh. Don’t like Grimes or his wife much either. But Dale, Glenn and T-Dog? They’re alright. There’s women and children who need real protection, not the kind Grimes and Walsh gives.”

…  
…  
…

 

When Daryl looked up, Merle was gone, but he was at the top. With a final grunt Daryl dragged himself over the edge. Just a breather he promised himself. Then he’d better get his sorry ass up and crawl back to the farm and lick his wounds. Tomorrow, he’ll start again and won’t stop until he found Sophia.

Up in the sky a lone bird was circling, searching for prey. Daryl wished he was that bird, it looked peaceful up there. Not worrying about walkers. Not worrying about lost little girls. Not worrying about the people back at the farm. Not worrying about Grimes and Walsh and their dubious leadership. Not worrying about a brother, who may or may not be dead. Not even worrying about your own sanity.

Even though Daryl was lost in thought, he was still aware of his surroundings. A soft footfall alerted him to the presence of the other. Ignoring his tired, screaming, injured body Daryl shot to his feet, knife in hand, ready to defend himself.

 

The trek back to the farm was murder on his body. Somewhere along the way he dropped his bow, in a last ditch effort he grabbed at the strap, knowing if he was to kneel down to retrieve it, he would not be getting back up. The wound in his side started bleeding through the make-shift bandage, a few of his ribs were at least bruised, but felt more like broken, the wound on his head were steadily bleeding and the small black spots behind his eyes, grew bigger.

But still he stumbled towards the farm. He could rest as soon as he reached the farm. He had a package to deliver and he promised Carol and himself. He would get Sophia home to her mom even if it killed him. Daryl clutched Sophia’s small left hand in a death grip with his right hand. He will not lose her. He is a Dixon and Dixon’s keep their promises.

 

In the distance Daryl could see three figures running towards them. It looked like Grimes, Walsh and Glenn. Grimes waved his fucking Colt Python around. He just hoped the two fucking idiots don’t decide to start shooting before they made sure he and Sophia were alive. If he just had some energy left, he could have yelled at them, so that they realized they were alive. But he did not, he’s been running on fumes and pure Dixon stubbornness for the last two hours.

Grimes and Walsh were staring at Daryl and Sophia. Their mouths opening and closing, unable to say anything. It looked like Glenn might burst out in tears of happiness if Sophia as much as fart.

Eyeing the Python in Grimes’ hands, Daryl tried to make a joke “Next time you point that fucking thing at me you better shoot me…”

 

One moment the three men were staring at Daryl and Sophia. Unable to say anything. None of them believed they would find the kid. They all believed her dead. Hell, Walsh predicted her death ten seconds after learning she was missing. He never gave her a snowball’s chance in hell. The next moment a shot rang out and Daryl dropped like a bag of cement.

Sophia started screaming and crying. Daryl found her and now they shot him? Daryl groaned, “What the hell Grimes. I was only joking.”


	10. Chapter 10

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer : Still not mine

_Fuck, my head hurts even worse than my side. What happened?_

 

“Hold on Daryl, we’re almost there.”

 

_Where are we going?_

 

_I found Sophia… did you see?_

 

“Jesus, I can’t believe she just shot him.”

 

_Shot? I’m not shot. I impaled myself on my arrow and fell twice down a riverbank, but I was not shot._

 

“I’m sorry. I’m sorry. I thought he was a walker.”

 

_Who’s a walker? … Oh, Andrea thought I was a walker. Why? Did they not see Sophia? Wait, did I only dream of finding her. I believed Merle was there as well, so maybe I only believed I found Sophia. Shit, I really fucked up this time. Believing I found Sophia._

 

Daryl missed the rest of the conversation. The trip back to the farmhouse was frantic, Glenn and T-Dog carried Daryl, while Shane and Rick ran towards their little camp. Andrea was trailing behind them, apologizing and complaining that it was not her fault that she shot Daryl Dixon. The man looked dead. Covered in dirt and blood, staggering like that.

 

******

 

Daryl came to while Hershell cleaned the bleeding wound in his side. He jerked away from the gentle, yet firm, touches to his body. Growing up the way he did, never cared enough about him to treat him like this.

“Calm down, son. I need to clean this wound, there’s a fair amount of dirt around the wound and I don’t even want to know what’s going on inside. But we’ll make do with what we have. Patricia, please bring more hot water and the antibiotics and painkillers. The medicine is still in Carl’s room.”

“No…leave the antibiotics and painkillers. Somebody else may need them and then you wasted it.”

 

Neither Hershell nor Patricia could believe the injured man. He spend days in the woods looking for the little girl, when none of the other even lifted a finger to help. Hershell was not a cruel man and shared the food with the group, but Daryl never took any of the food. He even refused a peach, the reason was always that he did not contribute to the food. Maggie told him that she saw Daryl cooking a squirrel over the fire the previous evening. He did not begrudge sharing the food with the women and children, but the others?

Rick Grimes was worried about his son, he donated a lot of blood and could be excused from searching for the girl, but he did nothing else on the farm. He spent time with his son, wife and Walsh. He was quick to assign jobs to everybody else, telling them that they cannot be a burden on the farm.

Lori Grimes was just as bad, if not worse. She gave orders to Carol and Andrea, expecting them to clean their campsite and do the washing, without raising a finger to help them. What irritated him most about the woman was that she came into his home, demanding that the painkillers and antibiotics only be used for her son. She may think he was nothing more than a country bumpkin, but he knew the antibiotics she refused Daryl, used to be either Daryl’s or somebody called Merle Dixon, maybe the man’s brother or father. Maggie and Glenn made a trip into town for the other medicines. Walsh certainly did not come back with extra medicines from his trip to the FEMA camp, hell the man could not even come back with Otis.

And on the subject of Shane Walsh. Another dark horse that one. Something about his story does not fit. Hershell understand that the FEMA camp was overrun. It was a suicide mission from the start, but why if Walsh and Otis left with one rifle and one revolver, and Otis stayed behind to ensure the success of the mission and was then killed … why did Walsh came back with the rifle and the revolver? Either he wasted precious time until those thing finished with Otis and left, allowing Walsh to go back and retrieve the fire-arm from his dead body, or he left Otis behind without a way to defend himself. Walsh is unbalanced and like to intimidate those around him. He also has an unnatural attachment to the wife and son of Rick Grimes.

Dale was a nice man, close to his own age. Ready to help with anything Hershell may ask of him, the same goes for Glenn and T-Dog. Glenn was sweet on his Maggie and Maggie certainly did not complain about it. Carol’s been a wreck, but did more than her part. She even helped clean the house and cook food.

Daryl Dixon was a conundrum. At first all you see is what he wants you to see. You see a redneck. Somebody from the sticks, who gets drunk at the drop of a hat. Somebody who likes to beat his women and kids into submission, because that’s how Daddy did it. Somebody who spices up his sex life, by taking by force and always getting away with it. Somebody who spent more times behind bars than not.

It may be how his Daddy was, but it was not how Daryl was. He was a good man. A man who worried and searched for a little girl who was not his own. A man who cared enough about the feelings of the same little girl’s mother, that he would search the woods for her, take a bath and bring her flowers and a little bit of hope. A man who would go days without food, just because he felt he did not earn it. A man who would risk infection and death by refusing medication, just because somebody else could need it.

Hershell saw the scars on Daryl’s back. It was not scars caused by either a horrific accident or normal scars normal boys would gather growing up. No, these scars screamed abuse. The scars told him that Daryl’s childhood was not a happy one. Either his parents or the people charged to raise him, scarred him. They were thick and raised and criss-crossed over the man’s back. There was no doubt in Hershell’s mind that these scars were old, but even now, after all these years, they were still red and angry looking. It also told Hershell that nobody ever cared for Daryl, nobody took him to a hospital, nobody even cleaned the wounds at home.

Silently Hershell cleaned all Daryl’s wounds and even tricked him into drinking a cup of milk laced with antibiotics and pain medication. He silently closed the door behind him, hoping and praying that none of the others would disturb his sleep. Knowing that nobody in his group knew about the scars and wishing to preserve his dignity. He deserved that at least.

 

******

_Daryl was resting in his special place. It was nothing much, but it meant the world to Daryl. It was an old tree house. Whoever built it, built the damn thing to last. Merle was sitting next to him. Their feet swinging in the wind. Which was strange, because Merle did not know about the tree house._

_“You did good baby brother.”_

_“Why? I did not find you in Atlanta. I left you behind, I stopped looking for you. I could not even find Sophia…”_

_“Says who? Don’t worry about ol’ Merle. I’m big and ugly and can take care of myself. Been doing that for some time now. And who says you didn’t find Sophia?”_

_Daryl cocked his head._

_“You ain’t here now and you weren’t there with me then. I’m not stupid you know. And if I dreamed about you, I dreamed about Sophia. I wanted you then. You may not have been around much when I was a kid, but at least you tried to be there. You were the only one who cared about me. That’s why I dreamed about you. And I wanted to find Sophia and bring her home to her Mama. That’s why I dreamed of finding her, or rather her stumbling across me and bringing her home.”_

_“You know nothing baby brother.”_

_Merle faded away before Daryl could say anything else._

Daryl woke with a snort, feeling the soft bed beneath him and the sheets covering his lower body. He slowly dragged the sheet over his shoulders and fell asleep.

 

******

 

Shane Walsh was not very pleased with Andrea. Everything went peachy with his plans to get rid of Merle Dixon. He decided to keep the younger brother around, since his temper was not as volatile as the elder and he is an excellent hunter. Somebody needed to feed the group and those redneck hicks were readily available. He planned on getting rid of Daryl, now that they were safe and sound on the farm. And if Hershell Greene did not want them there, they could just take over the place. He, no they, needed and deserved a safe place to stay. Then, when everything was calm again, he planned to get rid of Rick. Lori and Carl were his, he loved them, he cared for them, they were his.

And now that stupid bitch ruined everything. Dixon would be much more cautious going out. He would not be caught unaware again. If only she was a better shot, then they would have been burning Dixon’s body right now and not dragging his useless ass back to the house.

Maybe the bastard will still die. Lori would demand that the available antibiotics be used for Carl, he is a child after all. He certainly could tell Hershell that he knows Daryl very well and that Daryl told him, should anything happen, all medicine should be stored for the children. Adults would make do and hope their bodies could fight off illnesses and infections. But the old goat was a stubborn bastard as well, he did not trust him. He did not believe the story he told about the death of Otis.

It was that fat fuck’s own fault he got killed. He shot Carl and nobody harms what Shane considers his own. And besides it was either him or Otis. He twisted his ankle and knew the walkers would catch up to him and Otis would have made it back to the farm. He was the hero. Shane Walsh was the hero. He saved Lori and Carl and cared for them. If only Rick died like he was supposed to. But who knew the bastard would wake up? Maybe he shouldn’t have dragged the gurney in front of Rick’s hospital room, but hindsight was a bitch.

Thinking about the doubt in Hershell’s eyes, Shane decided it would be best if he could get Rick and Lori to convince the old man that the medicine should not be wasted on the adults, and especially not Dixon. It was time to get rid of the redneck anyway. They should not be so dependent on assholes like the Dixons. He also had this feeling that both Dixon brothers knew about him and Lori. It just would not do if the group started to trust Daryl and start listening when he talks. The redneck might just let slip about the affair between Shane Walsh and Lori Grimes.

It was not to spare Rick’s feelings, but rather protect Lori’s reputation. She was not cannon fodder like Carol and Andrea. They were expendable, but Lori was the queen. The one to be protected at all costs. And so what if he fucked Andrea once or twice, but that was only to soften the cow up so that he could get rid of Merle Dixon. And now she fucked up. She should have practised a fuck load more before jumping on top of the RV to stand watch. Fucking bitch did not realize she was the owner of a fucking vagina and not a penis. And those that were born with tits and vaginas should learn their place. And their place were beneath men.

But that’s what happens if Daddy decides that his little girls were just as good as his little boys. Makes those little bitches think they were the same as men, makes them think they are worth something. Women are nothing but walking fuck toys. They are there to be bred until they produced a few boys for her man and then fucked until no man could get his dick stiff.

 

He also did not care for the fact that Dixon was successful in finding Sophia Peletier. Yet another little bitch who could not die like she was supposed to. The only child should be Carl, other children would only distract the group and take away protection from Carl. Lori and Carl deserved to be treated like royalty with everybody fawning over them. But like always, a Dixon fucks up everything he plotted and planned.


	11. Chapter 11

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> DISCLAIMER : still not mine, I just play with them a bit.
> 
> ~~~###~~~

Daryl heard the argument between Lori and Hershel. How could he not? The bedroom’s door was open and Lori cornered Hershel in front of the door.

“Hershel, I need to talk to you about the pain medication and antibiotics. There is not much left and when it’s gone it’s gone. We cannot afford to waste any medication. I believe and Rick and Shane agrees with me, that we should keep any medication for the children. They would need and deserve it a whole lot more than adults.

Carl is still not well. He’s been shot a week ago and is still healing. Dix.. Daryl is an adult and he is strong. His body can and will fight any infections. I’ve also known Daryl for months now, he would be very displeased and angry if he learns you’ve been wasting medication on him.”

A short silence, before Hershel answered, “Mrs Grimes I understand you are worried about Carl. But he is fine and he is healing. The antibiotics? I understand it belong to either Daryl or somebody named Merle Dixon. It is therefore the property of Daryl. He gave it up for the group, to help T-Dog and your son. He did not complain about it. He did not attach any conditions to the use of it. Besides, Carl receives only one pill a day, cut in quarters. Carl is still a child and the antibiotics are adult strength, it would harm him if I gave him four whole pills a day.”

Lori hissed a few words to the old man and Daryl only heard the words “remember Otis shot and nearly killed Carl”

A minute or two of silence, before Hershel answered her, his voice and tone cold and unforgiving. 

“Mrs Grimes, you, your husband and your friend should remember this. You all are nothing but guests on my property. I’ve made an agreement with your husband that you may stay as long as Carl was hurt and until you found the lost child. Now, Carl is getting better and Daryl found the child and brought her back to her mother, almost dying in the process.

Besides Daryl, each and every one of you take food from my table without offering to help with any of the chores around the farm.

I have one rule on the farm – nobody is allowed to walk around with guns. But once again, all but Daryl ignores this rule. One of your group shot and nearly killed Daryl, because she believed her name was Annie Oakley and she was the sharpest sharpshooter this side of the Atlantic Ocean. Strutting around with the mentality of have gun, will shoot.

Yes, Otis shot your son. But it was nothing more than a tragic hunting accident. He did not see the boy, he did not plan on shooting your son. And may I remind you, Otis gave his life to make sure your son lived. He paid with his life for an accident.”

 

Daryl really did not want to sleep anymore and only waited for the sun to set. The darkness would allow him to slip from the house and move his tent as far away from the group as possible. He’d start the search for Sophia tomorrow morning and as soon as he found Sophia and returned her to her mother, he would replace the medication and search for additional medication, especially suited for children. Maybe then, and if Hershel allows the group to stay, he could leave and search for Merle.

 

Carol entered the bedroom and Daryl hastily drew the sheets over his shoulders. His scars were his own business, there was really no reason everybody should know that his Daddy hated him and tried to beat him to death. 

Carol placed the covered plate next to him.

“I brought you some dinner. Hershel said you must eat, you are his guest and guests will not go to bed hungry.”

She leaned over him and kissed him on the cheek. Daryl never was comfortable with physical contact, but taught himself to guard his emotions. Even Will never realised when he hurt or angered his son, it made him whip his son even harder, but Daryl refused to give the old bastard the satisfaction of knowing he was hurting him. But for the first time in years, Daryl flinched when another invaded his personal space. He could not help it, he waited for the blow he was sure to follow. Carol only gave him a gentle kiss and step back.

“Daryl, I want you to know. What you did for me. What you did for my Sophia. It was more than anybody ever did for me and especially for her. It was more than Rick would have done. It was a whole lot more than what Shane would have done. And it was a crap load more than what her own daddy ever done for her in his whole life. You are every bit as good as they are, if not better. Don’t ever forget that.”

Daryl flushed, “Haven’t found her yet. So I haven’t done anything yet.”

“Daryl, honey, you did find her. You brought her back to me. Even as injured as you were, you brought her home to me. Sophia told me that you were hurt and bleeding, but you stayed the whole way with her, and even killed two walkers on the way home.

I was wrong, you are not just as good as Rick and Shane. You are better. You could have left Sophia behind, just like Rick did, but you stayed with her. Sophia’s been bugging me to beg you to teach her how to be just like you. So don’t let Lori and Shane bring you down. You deserve this bed to sleep, you deserve a plate of home cooked food and you deserve the medicine Hershel gave you.”

 

With that Carol left the room. Daryl’s mind was in turmoil. He was so sure he found Sophia, but then he had a very nice conversation or two with Mere, who sure as shit was not there. But Carol would never lie to him like that and especially not about Sophia being safe with her. So maybe he did good.

 

******

 

Morning came and Daryl dragged himself from the bed. He was still sore, but there was no way he would spend yet another day in bed. Daryl quickly removed the sheets, he’d wash them and return them to Hershel. He may have grown up dirt poor, with a father who believed cleaning was for women and gay men, but he never left a mess behind. Will Dixon really hated gay people, complaining on how wrong it was and how they are destroying civilisation and the sanctity of marriage. Stupid son of a bitch more than his fair share of destroying civilisation with him brewing moonshine and drugs and selling that shit to everybody around him. As for marriage, the bastard could not even spell sanctity. The way Will Dixon fucked his way through every trailer park within driving distance, he should be the last one busting a gut over the sanctity of marriage.

Silently slipping from the house, Daryl quickly washed the sheets and hang them to dry. He decided on a whim to go hunting. Maybe he would get lucky and bring back a deer for Hershel, as a way to thank him for his help, the bed and food. Will Dixon made sure Daryl learned his lesson about never being indebted to anybody else.

 

Since leaving the farm, Daryl realised somebody was following him. Could be that idiot kid who wanted a gun, Daryl hoped it would be him, he posed no danger. Just as long as you keep weapons from his hands. He was more of a danger to himself. The footsteps were too heavy. It was not Dale, T-Dog or Glenn. They would have announced their presence a long time ago. So his stalker was either Walsh or Grimes, and if he was a betting man, he would bet his left nut that the person trying to sneak up on him was Walsh.

He may have been out of it yesterday, but he did not miss the look Walsh gave him. Maybe the man was afraid he was going to spill the beans about the real relationship between himself and Lori. Even if he liked Grimes, he would never disclose that kind of information. Being the bearer of bad news and the one telling hubby that his little woman was stepping out with somebody else, and that somebody else was his best friend (like brothers), was just plain suicidal. Some men have been known to snap and kill the messenger. If Grimes was so blinded by his wife that he could not see what everybody else in the group saw, it was not his problem. 

Maybe Walsh was worried that he was going to bring up Otis and what really happened. He liked Hershel and his family and would never hurt them by telling them he believed Walsh killed Otis in cold blood. Just so he could come back. Just so he could be the hero to the Grimes family. Just to punish a man for a stupid hunting accident, fuck, people did not even receive the death penalty for a hunting accident before.

Whatever the reason, Daryl did not care that the idiot tried to sneak up on him. The fuck-up in Atlanta and Merle, makes Daryl wonder. He knows Walsh and Andrea bumped uglies in the woods a few times. That woman would remove her uterus if Walsh wanted her too. He also knew several of her type of woman. Some of them he met while they were fucking his dad. Whether they were rebelling against daddy or being one of those liberal bleeding heart types, they all had one thing in common. They loved using a little bit of drugs. Some only smoked weed, but some were into hard drugs.

Some of them from his work as a cop. They maintained a high stress lifestyle. The rewards were high, but so was the stress. It usually started with a drink or two after work once a week. Just to unwind. No problem, they were still in control. Then twice a week. Still no problem. As soon as they unwound more than once a week, the unwind therapy escalated until it was every day of the week. Still no problem, they lead a stressful life and need this. From then on it is liquid lunches and soon enough somebody would introduce them to weed. Still no problem, they got it in hand. They can quit drinking and smoking weed anytime they want to. They control the vices, the vices don’t control them. Most stayed with just the booze and the weed, but some started to need something more to unwind. Then comes the real drugs. Crystal meth, cocaine, heroin. And still they believe they were the ones in control.

Andrea used to brag about her life before. The six figure penthouse apartment with all the trappings, name dropping several expensive art works in her collection. The corner office in the law firm. Being the youngest partner. Being a highly sought after civil rights attorney. The high profile cases. Fighting the good fight to make sure nobody’s civil rights got abused. Sometimes Andrea took a walk and came back with a loopy smile on her face.

Andrea insisted on joining the final supply run into Atlanta. She never wanted to go before and had no interest except shoving a shopping list in Glenn’s hands, not until she learned Merle Dixon would be going as well. Did Andrea work on her own to give Merle the drugs, did she and Walsh plan it together or did Andrea gave Merle the drugs after being ordered to do so by Walsh?

 

Daryl wondered if Walsh only wanted to talk to him, away from prying eyes at the camp. Telling him to leave? That good honest folk like them don’t need scum like the Dixons on their doorstep. Or was Walsh planning his own little hunting accident? Daryl slipped behind a tree and disappeared. At least he knew neither Walsh nor Grimes could track to save their own lives. Doubling back Daryl crept up behind his stalker. Seems like his left nut is still his. Walsh was still slinking through the woods, believing he was following Daryl, a he pistol, sporting a silencer, gripped in in his hands and if the look on his face was an art style, it would be a fine example of Late Homicidal Tendencies and Early Insanity. 

Walsh was not following Daryl to chat about the chances of the Dallas Cowboys in the playoffs this year.


	12. Chapter 12

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> DISCLAIMER: Still not mine.
> 
> Please note: I am not American, but do know that some US states still uses death penalty as a form of punishment, and searched whether (a) capital punishment was on the table in Georgia and (b) under which circumstances an offender would receive the death penalty. I found the list at Wikipedia - not the most reliable source of information, but let's hope for the best, because even a broken clock is correct twice a day. So if I got it wrong, please accept my apology and that no offence were meant against either the great state of Georgia, its people or its judicial system.

Daryl grew tired of the little game and silently headed back towards the farm. If the idiot wanted to follow ghosts, he’ll leave him to it. He needed to make sure that he obtained a safe place to sleep during the night, he would really not put it past Walsh to try and murder him in his sleep. The best thing he could do was move his tent and belongings to the ruins at the edge of the woods. He would spend his days there, when he was not out hunting. From that location he had an excellent vantage point and would notice anybody trying to creep up on him. It would also protect the innocents at the camp should Walsh try and attack him. At night he could slip up to the barn and sleep in the loft. He knew that Hershel was keeping walkers there, but the barn was secure and the walkers have not yet tried to break out, so Daryl knew they were all safe at the farm.

 

He recognized some of the walkers. They used to be family. Hershel Greene was a man of faith. He believed in God and heaven. He believed in the government, doctors and modern medicine. Daryl was the only one who noticed that none of the Greene’s drank. Alcohol was not allowed on the farm. Hershel did not even allow swearing and frowned whenever he heard Walsh and Grimes talking. They all believed that this virus could be beaten, that a cure would be found.   They believed up until Jenner and the CDC. Of course Hershel would not kill the people he used to know. He most probably believed scientists were working on a cure and soon the government and doctors would come swooping in with a miracle cure.

 

 

Glenn also knew about the walkers, but Maggie convinced him to keep quiet about it. He seemed to be bursting at the seams. Glenn hated keeping secrets. Daryl believed that Glenn believed keeping secrets (governments) led to this mess they were all in know. And honestly he may not be wrong. Who’s to say how this virus started? It could be a natural mutation, it could be a virus that piggy backed on space debris and ended up on their little rock in the universe, it could be some deity or the other’s divine punishment for humanity’s transgressions or it was something cooked up in a lab, to be used in warfare. It would not be the first time scientists and governments colluded to gain the upper hand in one war or the other. Before humanity learned their lesson and dragged itself back from the brink, people realized that nuclear weapons were a terrible inhumane idea, one that really should not have seen the light of day, but if this was man-made, humanity may just have slit its own throat.

 

The walkers were not the only secret that Glenn harboured. Somehow Lori Grimes was involved, and if Daryl’s hunch was correct, Mrs Grimes may just be pregnant and she was either unsure as to the paternity of her child. How soon before Glenn spilled all his little secrets and Lori Grimes’ world comes crashing down? Foolish woman might just try and abort the baby before Glenn spills her secret.

 

 

******

 

 

Daryl watched in amusement as Maggie jumped from her horse, storm up to Lori Grimes and slap her. Before Grimes and Walsh could even reach the object of their affection, Maggie threw a package at the woman.

 

“Next time, go and fetch your own shit from the store. Glenn will no longer be your little errand boy, risking your life for your stupid little games.”

 

Carol gave a soft snort, “Aren’t you glad me and Sophia forced you to join us for lunch? I’ve never been to a Dinner Theatre. Now that we had the entertainment, lunch will be served.”

 

 

Usually the group sat around the fire-pit, but today they were fractured. Grimes and his son sat on one side of the pit, as far away as possible from both his wife and his friend. Grimes was sulking and shot glares of resentment towards his wife and best friend, Carl was glad to be outside and in the company of his dad. Walsh on the other side and Lori in the middle. It was clear as day that Grimes finally learned about the affair his friend and wife had. Walsh sat glowering at Glenn and Daryl, blaming them for the tension between himself, Grimes and Lori.

 

The rest of the group tried to enjoy lunch and light conversation, but the Grimes/Walsh drama unfolding in front of them, was turning the food into saw dust. Glenn was a bit jumpy, one secret was exposed but there was still the issue of the walkers and the knowledge that the barn was filled with them, was burning a hole in Glenn’s conscience.

 

Both Lori and Walsh were trying their utmost best to explain their behaviour, not that there really was any plausible explanation. If the cheaters really cared as much as they claimed about Rick Grimes they would not have started an affair so soon after believing they lost the man. If Grimes started using the brain between his ears and ignore the one between his legs, he would realize that his little Mrs had been stepping out with Walsh since before the world ended.

 

Lori tried again, with a whining pleading “Please Rick…”

 

“Don’t _Please Rick_ me! You are pregnant and you wanted to get rid of the child. You bullied Glenn on taking a trip into town, nearly causing the death of Maggie. You nearly caused the death of two innocent people, just because the two of you were unable to keep your pants up!

 

What were you thinking? We are guests on Hershel’s farm. As it is I’m having trouble convincing him that our group could be an asset and letting us stay. Because of us, Otis is dead. What do you think would have happened if you caused the death of Maggie as well?”

 

 

Well, well, seems as if Rick Grimes found his balls. Maybe the man should have stood up to his harpy of a wife a long time ago.

 

“Otis shot _our_ son! He nearly killed your son! And you keep defending the man. So what if he died? He nearly killed my baby.”  


Oh, hypocrisy thy name is Lori Grimes. She wanted to kill her baby, to hide her affair from her husband, and yet she has the audacity to condemn Otis? Now was the time to stand up for Otis, since the only people who would, was not even present for this bitch’s poison.

 

“Mrs Grimes, from what we all understood, even your husband told you on more than one occasion, it was an accident. Otis did not plan on shooting anything but that deer, he certainly did not plan on shooting your son. He did not even see your son. Now you are playing judge, jury and executioner?

 

He paid for the mistake with his life. He died retrieving the equipment needed to save your son’s life. Otis’ family took this group in and Hershel saved your son’s life. What more do you want from the man and his family? Not even before the world went to shit were people handed the death penalty for an accident.”

 

Lori sneered in Daryl’s direction, “And why should I listen to you? You don’t even know how the law works, since scum like you only broke the law. I know all about your type of people Dixon. We all saw what kind of people you and your useless brother were the moment you rolled up and forced yourself on our group.

 

Let me take a guess. You grew up in a trailer park. Both your parents were drunks and most probably used drugs too. I guess they never even got married, since chances are good that they were closely related to each other. Maybe brother and sister? Or was your daddy also your granddaddy? Scum like you and your brother robs, steals, rapes and murders because you care only about yourselves and your own pleasure. I guess you did not even graduate from kindergarten?

 

So do us all a favour and shut the fuck up! None of us want you here. Why don’t you just crawl back to where you came from?”

 

 

Andrea’s training as civil rights attorney kicked in and decided to defend Daryl. She’s been feeling guilty for listening to Shane and getting Merle high. She’s been sober for the first time in five years. The last of her stash was used to get Merle high. She’s been horrible to the Dixon brothers and they never harmed anybody at the camp. They were also the only ones who tried to stop Ed abusing his wife. They would have starved long before Rick ever showed up if it wasn’t for the Dixon brothers and all everybody did was berate the two. Not even a fucking mongrel dog bit the hand that fed it.

 

“Well, actually Lori. The following crimes were capital crimes in the State of Georgia: treason, murder and aircraft hijacking. Before you scream murder or even attempted murder, the charge of murder only became a capital punishment with one of several aggravating circumstances. Those aggravating circumstances included if: One: the offender had a prior capital conviction.

Two: if the offender was in in the process of committing another capital crime, aggravated battery, burglary, or arson.

Three: the offender used or possessed a weapon or device capable of causing significant harm to more than one person simultaneously.

Four: the offender committed offense for monetary gain.

Five: the victim was or had been a judicial officer, district attorney, or solicitor general, and was murdered for reasons relating to their employment as such.

Six: the offender hired another to commit the murder or committed it for hire.

Seven: the victim was [tortured](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Torture_murder).

Eight: the victim was a law enforcement officer or firefighter and was performing his/her official duties.

Nine: the offender was in the custody of, or had escaped from, law enforcement or a correctional facility.

Ten: the offender was resisting arrest or

Eleven: the offender had a prior conviction for [rape](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rape), aggravated sodomy, aggravated [child molestation](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Child_molestation), or aggravated [sexual battery](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sexual_battery).

 

Since Carl’s shooting was nothing more and nothing less but a tragic hunting accident, Otis would not have been handed the death penalty. I seriously doubt if he would have been handed any length of incarceration. If it was still the old world and Otis was charged for attempted murder, his defense attorney could, and rightly so, point out that the child was, at the time to the tragic incident, under supervision of two competent adults, who were both police officers. Carl saw the deer and wanted to get closer to the animal. No-one can blame him for that. He is a child and this was the first time he encountered an animal in the wild before. The adults in whose care Carl was at the time of the accident should have and could have foreseen that the woods are potentially dangerous and that hunting accidents do occur and should have taken the necessary steps to prevent the occurrence of such an event.

 

So stop blaming Otis for shooting your son. If you really want and need to blame someone, blame your husband and Shane, it was under their care and supervision that the accident occurred after all. Or maybe just go ahead and blame yourself since _you_ allowed your son to leave with the two men. You know how dangerous the world is now. Hell, at the time of the incident we were searching for one lost child. Who would you blame if Rick, Shane and Carl stumbled across another herd of walkers?

 

But you would rather sit there and play Queen. Since the quarry you were always first to tell the women in the group that _we_ need to clean this, wash that or cook whatever. But somehow you were never included in the “we”. The only thing you took care to gather was mushrooms, most of which were poisonous in any case. Stop pretending as if your shit does not smell, because lady it smells worse than most.

 

Daryl, I’m sorry and deeply ashamed about my behavior towards you and your brother and nothing I could ever do would be able to erase my actions and shame towards you and Merle. If I could go back in time and change just one thing, it would be that. You and Merle kept us alive with the meat you brought back, even if it was sometimes only squirrel. And all we ever did was spit on you and Merle. Not even disguising the fact that we believed ourselves to be better than you. And still you did not abandon us, you kept on hunting and feeding us. When Sophia got lost, you never lost hope. You returned every day to search the woods, hell, you even nearly died, but still you brought her back save and sound.”

 

Daryl was really touched by the woman’s tirade and admission. Without even realizing she admitted in playing a part in the events that led to Merle being handcuffed to a roof. She still owe him a full confession, but he would be willing to hear her out. Besides he believed that Merle was still alive. He may have lost his hand, but Merle was one of the toughest bastards he ever met.

 

Lori was gearing up to blow a fuse and pitch a hissy fit worthy of an over neurotic, borderline anorexic supermodel. Walsh really seemed pissed at Andrea for telling Lori off and apologizing to Daryl. Grimes seemed bemused and a bit vacant. It is not as if they could expect miracles after all. The man did stand up to his wife, and must have used his daily allowance of brains and bravery.

 

There was a slight shift in Walsh’s demeanor, a sly glance towards Glenn. Even he must have realized the Korean kept more than Lori’s pregnancy secret. By the look of his shifty glance, the bastard was gearing up to tear into Glenn, to try and get him to spill the beans. Anything to take the heat of the two lovers. He was clearly hoping the second secret was bigger than his and Lori’s. Maybe even big enough for Grimes to forgive him and once again see him as nothing but his best friend. The poor mourning friend and grieving widow, who in a moment of grief found mutual solace in the arms of each other.

 

 

Deciding to keep Glenn from spilling all his secrets in one day, Daryl decided to get Glenn as far as possible away from the farm.

 

“Hey Glenn, didn’t you say you and Ms Greene would show me something special today?”

 

 

At least the kid was fast and recognized the rescue and reprieve for what it was. He just nodded, afraid if he opened his mouth, he would say something and then everybody would realize the barn was filled with walkers.


	13. Chapter 13

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer -- still not mine.
> 
> Sorry for the loooong wait.

The next week was very uncomfortable at the camp. Rick was ignoring Lori and spending all his time with Carl. Lori followed Rick around, trying to get into his good graces and either ignored Shane or spending time berating him. Shane sulked. Angry at being ignored by both his best friend and his lover. Carl did not really understand the tension between the adults and tried to spend time with all three.

Daryl did his best to keep Walsh as far as possible away from Glenn and spent his days either teaching Glenn how to hunt and track or scavenging the cars on the highway. Hershel was coming around in letting their group stay, as long as they were contributing. Dale and T-Dog were already performing various chores on the farm, Carol, Sophia and Andrea planted a garden to grow extra vegetables and keeping their camp clean and litter free.

The only members of their group not contributing in any way were the Grimes family and Walsh. Rick Grimes stalked around, pretending to be security and trying to keep Carl out of mischief. Carl refused to help Sophia tend the vegetable garden or perform small chores. He either followed his father or Walsh around, nagged that he wanted a weapon and wanted to learn how to shoot or snooped through people’s belongings. After finding Carl snooping through his tent, Daryl decided to hide his belongings. The best place was in the barn, since he was still sleeping there at night. Lori did what she does best, which was nothing. 

******

The inevitable happened. Carl ended up at the barn and decided to investigate. Luckily he was unable to open the doors, but he did climb up into the loft and as soon as he noticed the walkers down below, tore from the barn, screaming like a rabid banshee.

Walsh trying to prove that he was the alpha male and leader of humanity, grabbed his shotgun, fully intent on blasting the doors open and shooting every last walker in the barn. With a little bit of luck Grimes was able to convince Walsh not to do something stupid and Hershel not to kick the group off the farm. For three tense days Walsh sat sentry in front of the barn, guarding the doors. Being the moronic douchebag that he is, it escaped his short attention span that they’ve been living on the farm for more than a month now, without any incident. The walkers in the barn did not even test the doors.

Then it all came crashing down. Hershel asked Grimes to accompany him. An hour later Hershel, Jimmy and Grimes waddled back to the farm, with two walkers in tow. Lori started screaming, which set Carl of and in turn convinced Walsh to play Mister Macho. The idiot kept shooting the female walker in the chest, screaming at Hershel that if they were alive, they would not have kept walking after this shot and that shot.

Grimes tried to reason with Walsh, telling him that it was Hershel’s farm and his rules and that it was over. A cold look passed Walsh’s face. He calmly walked up to the female walker, and said with a cold, dead voice,  
“You know what? You’re right. It is over.”  
With that he pulled the trigger and shot the female walker in the head before shooting second male walker. The Greene family stood in shocked silence. They could not believe their eyes. Deep down they knew that these things were dead and were never coming back. But they still retained enough of their humanity to feel conflicted. They used to know these people. They called them wife, mother, brother, my best friend Tony, Pete from the local Stop & Fill, Jenny from the diner. They were not faceless, nameless monsters. They used to be their family, friends and loved ones.

With the same cold determined look on his face, Walsh approached the barn. He grabbed his shotgun and blasted the locks on the doors to smithereens. The noise on the outside riled the walkers up and they came pouring out. Walsh’s stupid thoughtless actions forced the rest of the group to take out the walkers. It broke Daryl’s heart, knowing that these things used to be rest of the Greene family. They were not yet ready to accept that there would not be a cure. No vaccine would cure them. Nothing would ever bring them back. They were already dead and it was a mercy destroying those things that made a mockery of their lives.

Walsh then tried to rub salt into their wounds by insisting they burn the bodies, because that’s what “we” do to walkers. Dale, being the voice of reason, calmed the idiot down and arranged funerals for the dead. The funerals were completed, crosses and flowers placed at each grave. Walsh moped around, he really wanted to drive the point home and burn the bodies, rubbing more salt into the open wounds of the mourning Greene family.

******

Daryl was busy carving new arrows. Since the barn incident he isolated himself even more, only interacting with the Greene family. Walsh strutted around like a rooster on the shit heap, correctly believing Lori was expecting his progeny. The fucking idiot was trying to draw every female on the farm into his little harem. In retaliation, Grimes decided to forgive his wayward wife and the Grimes family were bouncing around the farm as if they owned the damn place. Ever since the news of Lori’s pregnancy came to light she was even more useless, contributing absolutely nothing but her nagging grating voice. Carl was as happy as a pig in the mud, both his parents fawned over him, keeping him from performing any chores on the farm. Grimes and his wife clearly believed themselves to be the king and queen with Walsh lurking in the shadows as the heir apparent.

He saw Lori walking towards his little camp, but decided to ignore the ditzy bitch. The others may entertain her and would have rushed over to her side, lest she break a sweat and lose her little bundle of joy. One would think she was the first woman in history to fall pregnant and in less than ideal times as well.

“Daryl, I need you to run into town and fetch Rick for me.”

“Excuse me?”

“Hershel left and then Rick went to get Hershel. I need Rick and Beth needs her father. So I want you to go into town and bring Rick back.”

Daryl could hardly believe his ears. Did this woman’s mother never bother to teach her any manners? Sure the world went to shit and civilization was hanging by a thread, but a little common courtesy never harmed anybody. He really would have more inclined to play her little errant boy if she only displayed a little bit of decency and used the words “please” and “thank you”.

“Listen Daryl, you are part of our group, however much you clearly wish you weren’t. Everybody carries their own weight and does their part on the farm, except you. You live here at the edge like some crazy hermit. Either you start contributing to the farm or you get the hell of the property. Rick has been very generous towards you, but this is your final warning. Either shape up and do your part or get the fuck away from us.”

Daryl Dixon was not his father and never even contemplated hitting a woman, but for this bitch? He might just abandon everything and slap the silly cow so hard, that her great grandchildren would be born with his hand imprint on their faces.

“Don’t you dare and speak to me about contributing and doing my part, Olive Oyl. I went out each and every day searching for that little girl, I took an arrow in the side and nearly a bullet to my head. I go out each and every day hunting and bring back extra food to the farm.

Why don’t you lift yourself from your lazy arse and start doing your part? So you want Rick? Get in a fucking car and run yourself into town and bring him back. I’m not your damn slave.”

Lori’s mouth opened and closed before she stormed off in a huff. Daryl quickly slipped away from the farm, he knew a shortcut through the woods to town. He was worried about Hershel, the old man, suffered since Walsh busted open the barn. If anything he went to make sure Hershel and Glenn were fine and try and convince Hershel to come back home to his family. Grimes can do whatever the hell he wants.

Just as Daryl suspected he found Hershel in the town bar. Glenn was out scavenging and Grimes hovered around the old man, preaching in his sanctimonious voice that drinking was not the answer. No fucking shit Sherlock. Hershel was floundering. The old man was trying to come to terms with the fact that there would be no miracle cure, that his wife were gone before Walsh destroyed her body. His faith was shaken, not only his faith in the American government, but also science, doctors, medicine, order and logic, but most of all his faith in God was shaken.


	14. Chapter 14

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the long wait. My muse buggered off and left me hanging. He did come crawling back though and after he bribed me with chocolates, roses and gifts - I decided to forgive him.

Daryl stepped up to the bar. He gently laid his hand on Hershel’s shoulder.

“Hershel, don’t. This ain’t you. You ain’t a coward man. Men like my Dad, he was a coward. Boozing and whoring his life away. Men like us Dixon’s, we’re the ones hiding behind booze. You’ve got your kids back at the farm. Your people all look up to you, they trust in you not to lead them wrong. I’m sorry about your wife. I’m sorry what happened to her. Both times.”

Grimes looked like he wanted to interfere, say his peace, stir up some more shit. Daryl hoped for once the man would just keep his fucking mouth shut. If it had not been for his best friend Walsh, Hershel would not be sitting here, trying to drown his sorrows.

“Beth and Maggie? They think the world of their Dad. I see and I hear them. They think you’re Superman or something. They need you back at the farm. Maggie may be a strong girl, but hell, crushing after Glenn or no, she would still be able to beat the stuffing out of him if he ever dared not to treat her right. Why do ya think she’s so strong? It is because of you. She wants to make you proud. Beth is still a kid, she’s your baby and she needs you. So don’t you do it.”

Hershel kept quiet, he did not put the glass down, but at least he did not down the booze. He wanted to, but he could not do it. Hearing that his kids needed him, that they thought of him as a hero, made him want to be the hero they deserve. He failed both his wives. The first one because of his drinking. The doctors said it was cancer, but he knew. He knew it was his drinking that broke her heart and spirit.

Then he found Beth’s mother. She saw past the booze hound. She saw something in him. She believed in him and before he knew it he stopped drinking. He became the Dad that Maggie deserved, the stepdad Shaun deserved and the husband he should have been with Maggie’s mom. When Josephine, Maggie’s mom died, he nearly drank himself right into a grave next to her. 

But Annette saved him. They made their marriage work, Shaun did not want his Mom to marry the old drunken vet and he sure did not want a new Dad. Maggie resented him for getting married again. She resented Annette from stealing her father away. But Annette was patient. She won Maggie over and the day they brought Beth home from the hospital, Maggie was happier to see Annette than her own father. In time Shaun called him Dad and Maggie called Annette Mom.

They were happy. They were an all American family, living the American dream. Their lives were a Norman Rockwell painting. Then Annette was bit. She did not want to go to the hospital. They heard rumors of people who got bit were sent away and never returned. An hour after Annette passed, they heard her groan. But it was not Annette anymore. She tried to bite Beth. So he put her in the barn. She was the first in there. Next to join her was Shaun. Then the others came. Hershel believed, hoped and prayed that a cure would be found. That she and the others would get the cure and their lives would continue. He was a fool. But at least he was an honest fool.

Hershel slammed the glass down. He will never again drown his sorrows. He will never again hide his problems and worries and fears behind a bottle of whiskey. He survived the deaths of both his wives, the death of his son, the death of Otis and the deaths of all his friends from neighboring farms and the town.

Daryl smiled. He did not underestimate the old man. He did not lie to him either. The old man was strong, he was just a bit lost and even Superman needed somebody once in a while to steer him in the right direction.

“Good man, let’s get out of here and get you home. Besides, think about the tongue lashing Maggie will give you for endangering her Glenn.”

Glenn started blushing, he already experienced Maggie Greene’s temper. Hershel laughed, the first honest laugh in a long time.

“And here I thought you came to stop me from drinking. Maggie inherited her Momma’s temper. One needs liquid courage to face the wrath of my daughter.”

 

******

Glenn was glad to see Daryl. Nobody gave the man the time of day. But he was always there, ready the help the group in any way he could. Rick could not decide if he was thankful for the redneck showing up or angry. He wanted to be the one to bring Hershel back to the farm. In part to grease the wheels and have the old man allow them to stay, in part to apologize for the whole mess back at the farm. He really liked Hershel Greene and knew he would have been able to break the news more gently to the old man that the walkers in the barn were dead. There would be no cure. They were never coming back. But Shane fucked up. His cruel and callous actions could still get them kicked off from the farm. They needed the Greenes just as much as the Greene family needed them. They can make the farm a safe place to stay at. There was plenty of space and water. The land was fertile, they could grow their own crops and fresh meat was in abundance.

The group of men reached the bar’s door. Rick had his hand on the door handle. That was when the shadow crossed the door. His first thought was walker. Then walker horde. A second shadow stopped in front of the bar’s doors.

“I’m telling you, I saw the two men coming into this town. We need to search the buildings and find out where their group is at.”

“I need a drink.”

“We don’t have time for a drink man. Come on, help me search the buildings.”

“Well then, we can search the bar first. And I can get my drink. We’ll rest a bit. Drink a drink like decent men from a glass. Play a game of pool. Then we can search the buildings.”

Rick made a split decision. He was thinking of G and the Vatos. How he nearly killed them, before he realized they were harmless. He would get to know these two men and maybe Hershel would be willing to invite them back to his farm. They were all still human and humans had to band together against the dead.

Rick totally forgot about the gruesome fate of G, the Vatos and the elderly. He forgot it was not walkers that killed them. He forgot that some of the survivors turned mean and would screw their fellow survivor over in a heartbeat. He forgot about those that thrived in the new lawless society. A society where they could murder, rob and rape without any consequence.

He opened the door, a smile plastered on his face. Welcoming the two men, inviting them inside for a drink. 

Daryl nearly had a heart attack. He certainly remembered the fate of the Vatos. Just because somebody was human did not mean they were human.


	15. Chapter 15

The two strangers introduced themselves as Dave and Tony. They fished for information. They wanted to know if Hershel and his group had a safe place, how many were there, did they have weapons, was there food and water. They were however silent as to the number of their group and whether or not they were armed. Daryl did not trust these two strangers. They were trying too hard. In his line of work he met dozens of these predators. Preying on the weak, the old, the innocent. Lulling their victims into a false sense of security, before striking.

Rick gave away that their group lived on a nearby farm, Daryl felt like bitch slapping the fucking idiot. If Hershel did not stop the man he would have told them everything, the location of the farm, the number of able bodied men, the number of women, the exact number of weapons.

“Like Rick said, we holed up on a farm, but tell us more about yourselves. Are you part of a group?”

The slight glance between the two men told Daryl everything he wanted to know. These two were part of a bigger group, and if his instincts were right, their group consisted of more men than women and the women in their group were either just like them or not there of their own free will. Their group consisted of predators, those who reveled in the new world. It was people like them who attacked the Vatos and executed everybody not of use to them.

Tony strolled over to a corner, whipped his dick out and pissed against the wall. Daryl really had to stop himself from bashing the fucker’s head in. Just because the world belonged to the dead now, did not mean the living had to start behaving like wild animals. The mens-room was right there. He could have easily pissed in the urinals. He still would not have been able to flush, but it was a shit load better than pissing right here in front of them.

Tucking his dick back, Tony turned around, pointing his shotgun at the small group. “All right then, all pleasantries aside. You will take us to your group. We won’t harm you, just take what we need and be on our merry little way…”

Rick finally sensed the danger.

 

Later Hershel could not tell you exactly what happened. It felt like his brain recorded the unfolding events, but when it came to playback, it skipped over things.

The Colt suddenly appeared in Rick’s hands – Dave and Tony pointing their shotguns at them – Daryl removing his crossbow from his back in a smooth motion – Glenn pointing his pistol at the strangers, his hands shaking a little bit – Rick firing – Daryl firing – a bullet from the Python ripping through a skull – the arrow in the head…

They tried leaving through the front door of the bar, but more men showed up.

“Dave. Tony. You guys in there?”

They stayed silent. For obvious reason Dave and Tony did not answer.

 

Somebody on the outside tried to open the bar door, but at least Rick locked the door the moment he heard the approaching footsteps.

The door rattled harder.

“Whoever is in there, you have thirty seconds before we blow this door to pieces.”

Rick tried to buy some time.

“The men you were calling for? I’m sorry but there was an accident”

“Who are you and what the fuck do you mean an accident?”

“Tony and Dave are dead. We had a small misunderstanding and they did not make it.”

Somebody kicked the bar door. They could hear a frantic conversation on the other side of the door.

“I don’t know how many of you fuckers are in there, but in ten minutes time, ya’ll are gonna wish you never set foot in this bar. We are gonna come in there and we’re gonna string you up and after you spilled your guts we’ll spill your guts.”

Shit. If those on the outside spoke the truth, they were soon going to be outnumbered. Daryl counted their ammo in his head. Grimes had his Python, he expended at least one bullet, leaving five bullets. He did not know whether the man had any extra bullets on him. Glenn was only armed with a machete, Hershel was unarmed. He had his pistol, with a full clip, his knife and twenty arrows for his bow. If the men on the outside’s group was as large as they promised, they did not stand a chance.

“Hershel, is there another way out of this deathtrap?” 

Hershel blinked at Daryl, at first not realizing what he asked him, before a light finally went of inside his mind.

“There’s a backdoor. We have to go through the office. Behind the office is a storeroom and that is where the backdoor is.”

“Lead the way old man. Hopefully these assholes have not yet circled the building, waiting for us at the backdoor.”

The four men quietly slipped through the office and entered the storeroom. Glenn had his hand on the door, ready to open it. At that moment, the door’s handle turned in his hand. Somebody was on the other side of the door. Trying to slip into the bar and trap them unaware.

Fuck, they were trapped. An unknown number of men at both entrances, the gunshot from Rick’s Python would have been like a ringing dinner bell, drawing in walkers from all directions. Their window of escape disappeared like fog in the sun.

“Hershel? You seem to know this bar like the back of your own hand. Any other doors? Anywhere?”

Hershel started shaking his head. He only knew of the backdoor because he lived in this district his whole life and used to frequent this fine water hole on occasion. Truth be told this damn bar used to be the most important part of his life for a very long time. Then he remembered the roof access. The roof could only be accessed from a small attic, the only entrance to the attic was in the manager’s office and was hidden. If you did not know about it, you could easily miss it.

“The roof… we could go to the roof. It is dark enough and we would be able to see them, but they won’t be able to see us. There is no access ladder on the outside of the building, and if we block the access ladder in both the attic and on the roof, they won’t be able to find us. We can plan our escape from there.”

“Lead the way McDuff.”

Silently the four men scaled the attic door, taking the trapdoor hook with them, drew up the steps behind them before jamming it shut so that the men on the outside could not open the door. They did the same with the roof trapdoor. Daryl slipped to the edges, silently scoping out the territory. He did not know how many showed up at the bar’s front doors since they only heard one man speak, but at the front door was fifteen men, armed to the teeth. The backdoor contained about the same number of attackers.

The shots rang out simultaneously, shooting out the locks. The men swarmed into the building. They could hear the swears when they found the bodies of Tony and Dave and even more so when they could not find them in the bar.

One smart ducky suggested they start looking for access to the roof, correctly guessing where their prey disappeared to. From the darkness came a young man, running into the bar, frantically screaming about walkers drawing closer.

The gunshots and screaming carried into the silent night, drawing the walkers towards the town, towards food. They fled the bar, running before the approaching danger. Daryl made sure to count the number of men fleeing the scene. It would not do if this was a trap on their part and a few were waiting for them, grinning like the Cheshire cat when they came out of hiding.

Satisfied that all of the men have in fact fled and thus the danger of approaching walkers was real, the men descend down. 

On the outside they could not only hear the approach of riled up walkers, but see quite a few of them. The young man was still there. It seemed like he tried to hop over a fence and somehow impaled himself on it. He was screaming bloody murder attracting the attention of the walkers.

Rick tried them to leave, reasoning they could make their getaway while the walkers ate the impaled idiot. Hershel flatly refused, the betrayal of the barn incident still fresh in his mind. He would eventually forgive Rick for that mess, but he will not forgive the man if he allowed somebody to be eaten by those things.

Glenn agreed with Hershel, in part because the old man was correct and in part because he was smitten with the old vet’s daughter and wanted to impress the man. Daryl ran towards the impaled man. It seemed to him that this was a habit of Rick Grimes, treating those he did not happen to like or agree with as cannon fodder.

Glen and Hershel followed Daryl. Rick realized they were not going to leave the man there and ran towards their car, driving as close as he could to the group. They were trying to get the young man free, but he was stuck fast to the fence. The problem was that the piece of metal which pierced his leg was shaped like an arrow head. The only way to safely remove him was to cut through the metal, but they neither had the right equipment nor the time.

The kid may be a killer, but Daryl pitied him none the less. What he was about to do was not only cruel, but he could still die. But right now they had two options, one leaving him there to be eaten alive or two ripping him from the fence.

“Ah…fuck, sorry man. This is gonna hurt like a son of a bitch. I want you to count to three and brace yourself.”

They all realized what Daryl intended to do at the same time. The young man gave a watery “One” before Daryl grabbed his leg before yanking it upwards. The leg was freed with a wet ripping sound. At least the boy passed out from the shock and pain. Hershel helped Daryl carry him to the car, Glenn opened the door, slid in taking the unconscious man from Daryl. Daryl slid next to him into the backseat, Hershel jumped into the car.

In the back of the car, Daryl ripped pieces from the man’s shirt, tying it around the wound in the stranger’s leg. It would not help if he bled out in the backseat.

The trip back to the farm was tense. Daryl and Glen were trying to save the stranger’s live, Hershel angry at Rick for his part in the barn incident and wanting to leave a man to be eaten by those things. Rick was fuming because no matter how much he liked Hershel, the man endangered them by firstly coming into town, hell bent on getting himself drunk and then by insisting on wasting time to save the man in the backseat.

Daryl was talking to the injured man. Trying to find out his name and about his group. The only information he could drag from the man was that his name was Randall, before he passed out. Might be better that way, his leg must be killing him.

 

******

Almost everybody was outside when they pulled in front of the house. Lori nearly bowled everybody over in her bid to reach her husband. Maggie came running from the house, past her father, straight to Glenn. She checked him over, “Are you all right?”

Hershel huffed, is Glenn all right? What about him? Ah, but such is life. One moment you are the most important man in your daughter’s life, the next moment, you are shunted off to the side. At least Glenn was a nice young man, responsible, respectful and smart. Not an airhead like Jimmy. He would keep Beth away from Jimmy for as long as there is breath in his body.

Lori started whining, “Rick what happened? You were gone most of the night and I wanted to go and get you, but Shane locked me in a room. Who is that man in the car and why is he covered in blood?”

“There was an incident in town. We had just convinced Hershel to come back to the farm…”

Glenn sneered at the thought. There was no “we” involved in getting Hershel to come back to the farm. It was all Daryl. If it had not been for the hunter, he and Rick would most probably still be stuck in the bar, trying to get Hershel to stop drinking and returning home. But it seemed that was how the Grimes’ and Walsh operated.

“…when two men entered the bar. They were trying to find out where we hanged our hats, so to speak, how strong the group was, did we have any weapons and so forth. I did not trust the two from the start, but tried to fish for information myself.”

The other three men could not believe the audacity of Rick Grimes, did he forget that they were there. Hershel may have been sitting in the bar with a glass filled with whiskey, but he never even took a sip. They were there. He was the one chatting Tony and Dave up, telling about how safe the farm was, offering all sorts of information left right and center. It was only when the two men finally dropped their “Aww gosh” attitudes that Rick realized they were wolf in sheep’s clothing.

“They pulled their weapons on us but I…we took them down. We tried to slip out, but by then more of their group arrived and surrounded the bar. Luckily the bar has a hidden access to the roof and before they really could realize where we were and how to get to us, walkers showed up. Randall here was one of the men, he jumped of the roof of a nearby building, impaling himself on a fence. His friends left him there to bleed out and die and most probably become walker food.”

Shane shook his head. “So you are telling me this Randall was part of a group of heavily armed hostile men and you just brought him here?”

Daryl chose to ignore the idiot. He was clearly under the mistaken impression that anybody gave a flying fuck what he had to say and that this was his property.

“We’re posting guards to watch for any roaming walkers, what’s the difference to be on a look out for violent assholes as well?”

Shane went red in the face. “Jesus Christ! Here we fucking go again! It is the fucking CDC and the fucking burn all over again! You people all have shit for brains and live happily in La La Land…”

Hershel finally snapped. He could not stand the man and his cocky attitude.

“Before you forget yourself again Walsh! This is my farm and you are all guests here by my say so and grace. For the most part we’ve not had any problems with your group, but do not think for one moment I forgot about the barn and what you did there. I wanted you gone, but Rick and Maggie begged me to give you one more chance. Do not think for one moment I will not chase you from my property without even so much as a nail file for protection.  
Daryl, Glenn and Hershel moved Randall to the barn, where Hershel cleaned his wounds and declared that he should survive. He might limp worse than Imhotep, but he’ll live. As extra precaution Daryl tied him up, before locking the small room. Randall would both be safe and secure in the barn, but most importantly the rest of the group would be safe from Randall.

T-Dog plastered himself in front of the door.

“I guess we would be better of posting a guard here as well, not only to protect the group, but to protect Randall from Walsh.”

Daryl squeezed the man’s shoulder in silent support, before dragging his ass back to his tent. He was tired and wanted to get a little bit of shut eye before they start discussing fortifications around the farm as well as the guard roster.


	16. Chapter 16

Rick decided that they would give Randall some food and water, blindfold him and drive him a few miles away from the farm, before letting him go. Daryl knew it was for the best, but maybe they should delay until they find out more about the man and the group he used to be part of. But it was once again the Rick and Shane Show and they believed they could decide for the group.

Daryl was sitting with his back against the old chimney, making new arrows for his bow, keeping an eye out on the farm. Glenn and Maggie was tending the vegetable garden. Patricia was sweeping the porch keeping a pale looking Beth Greene company. The girl went catatonic after the barn incident and went mental when she learned Hershel left the farm. That stupid bitch Andrea then basically slit the girl’s wrists herself when she not only told her to do what she wanted to do, but handed her the fucking knife, leaving the room. Both Shane and Andrea was now banned from entering the farmhouse. Carol and the children were cleaning up the campsite, washing the clothes. Andrea was sulking on top of the RV, angry at Hershel for calling her an inconsiderate and cruel bitch and angry at Dale for refusing to hand her a weapon. She was not impresses when Dale reminded her of shooting Daryl. T-Dog was helping Hershel clean out the barn. Lori did what she did second best, which was absolutely nothing. Dale floated between the groups, handing out water and peaches.

Daryl watched as Dale crossed the field, coming towards him. Daryl pretended not to have noticed the man, plastering his custom red neck hick scowl on his face. 

“Morning Daryl. Can you spare a moment?”

“What? Y’all need me to go and fetch another lost sheep in town?”

Dale had to suppress the laughter. The man was good. No wonder everybody still believed Dixon was just another nobody red neck, drifting across the state of Georgia. Ever since the Dixon brothers joined them back at the quarry he had his doubts, Daryl’s delivery was just too red neck. He seemed more like those actors that immersed themselves fully in the current role they were portraying, convincing even themselves they were that character. But Daryl was no actor, if he had been, they would have heard about him by now.

There was no doubt in Dale’s mind that the Dixon brothers grew up on the fringes of society, but they managed to claw themselves out of the mud and made something of themselves. Especially Daryl. It was the way he handled himself, the way he always knew where everybody in their group was and what everybody was thinking and doing. Dale believed that Daryl knew all about the affair between Lori and Shane. Long before their sordid affair was flung out in the open. Dale remembered the way he cleared the rooms in the old age home, this boy was trained by somebody. Maybe he used to be in the armed forces or maybe a cop.

What he could not understand was if Daryl used to be a cop, why he allowed Grimes and Walsh to run the show. Walsh was clearly unhinged, losing more of his marbles and shit with every passing day and Grimes was just too naïve and gullible. They were not men he could entrust his life with. But Daryl, he was a man he would follow blindly into danger.

“No nothing like that. I just want to talk a bit. About Shane and what happened to Otis.”

“He say something to you?”

“No, it’s just this feeling I get when I see him…”

“I get it old timer. I could smell the bullshit when Walsh spoke about that night at the funeral of Otis. Grimes and Walsh, they come a long way. We all heard about their friendship, hell and if Grimes wants to buy the bullshit Walsh is selling. Now, I wasn’t here, but apparently Walsh and Otis left with Grimes’ python and a rifle. Only Walsh returns, with the python and the rifle. Claiming Otis told him to run and save Carl’s life. Claiming Otis defended their retreat? If Walsh came back with two weapons with what do you think Otis held them walkers off? With jokes? Grimes is too blind to see and Walsh hold on the group is too strong. Carol’s only worry at the moment is Sophia, and rightly so. She nearly lost the kid. Grimes and Walsh is still as thick as thieves, Lori and the kid being both men first priority. Glenn fell in with Maggie and her family. T-Dog is too soft and good natured. Andrea is lusting after Walsh. So where does that leave me? Alone, with no back up. I say, give the man some more rope to hang himself. Just keep your nose clean and stay the fuck away from him. You better get back to the group, I’m going out hunting and I believe Hershel is looking for you. My advice, make friends with Hershel, take Carol and Sophia with you. Besides, I don’t have time to protect your wrinkly old ass as well.”

With that Daryl grabbed his arrows and bow and slipped into the woods. Dale smiled, he was right, there is much more to Daryl Dixon than meets the eye. He’ll take the man’s advice and make sure he, Carol and Sophia falls in with Hershel, he’ll even take T-Dog with them. It would be best to let Daryl Dixon be Daryl Dixon. He was bound to ferret out all the information they would need to expose Shane Walsh.

******

Hours later Rick and a sulking Shane returned. Both men sported cuts and bruises. Walsh glared at Rick before storming off to his tent. Rick gave a sigh, before opening the car’s boot and removing a hogtied and blindfolded Randal.

“I thought you said you were going to dump him far away from here?”

“That was the plan. But he knows Maggie and Beth. He knows this farm. According to him he went to high school with Maggie. There was no way I could leave him there, only for him to either return here on his own, or going back to his group and bring them here. We need more information and right now, he’s not talking.”

Rick looked at the bound man. They needed answers and they needed them fast. If that meant beating the answers from him, so be it. But who could he ask? Glenn was too soft hearted and very non-threatening. T-Dog may be a big man, but he sported the face of a teddy bear and his personality matched his face. Dale was too old and Rick did not believe the old man will do it. Shane certainly was more than able, but at the moment he was more likely to kill the boy before asking any questions. None of Hershel’s group would do it. He could not do it himself, as he does not want to be seen as a torturer. That left Daryl Dixon. 

Hell, the man was perfect for the job. Redneck trailer trash. Probably enjoyed beating people up for fun.

“Where’s Daryl?”

Glenn gave a small glance towards Dale. So it was Daryl when they wanted to use the man, but Dixon when he was no longer needed? Glenn knew everybody believed him to be this gullible little boy, too innocent for his own good and maybe he was. But that did not mean he was stupid. That did not mean he could see and understand that Rick would use Daryl as an attack dog when he needed him.

Dale answered Rick. “I saw him leaving with his bow. I guess he went hunting.”

Lori sneered. “Why? We’ve got food here? He does not need to go hunting.”

“Mrs Grimes, if I had not made myself perfectly clear or if you were too distracted to listen. You and your group are guests on my farm. The food you’ve been eating three times a day comes from my table. Now I’ve never been one to deny anybody food and I’m not about to start now, but it still is my food. Some of the group has been helping around the farm, performing chores, doing their part to make sure everything runs smoothly on the farm and that we all continue to eat three square meals a day. Some of your group refuses even to wash a dish.”

Lori’s face grew red. How dare he? Does he not realize she was pregnant? That Carl was just shot and is still recovering from the ordeal? Does she really need to remind him that it was his man Otis that nearly killed her baby boy? And Rick donated a lot of his blood to save Carl’s life, he’s still recovering from that. Besides Rick went into town and drag him back from the bar when he wanted to booze it up. The only person not doing his part was Dixon. Living away from the group. Sneaking around, spying on them, probably waiting for the right opportunity to murder them in their sleep and rob them blind.

“I do not care for your insinuations Hershel. We all do our part on this farm. Well, all except for Daryl. Look at him, living so far away from the group, only showing up when it is mealtime, eating more than his fair share, always sneaking around, always spying…”

“Mrs Grimes, for the very last time. The only time Daryl took a plate of food out of my home was when he was injured and I basically had to force the man. He believed that since he did not contribute to the meal, he had no right in taking the food. The second plate of food was given to him by Carol, a meal she prepared to thank him for bringing her little girl back. Hell, the man does not even help himself to the peaches, fruit I may add grows wild around the farm. He goes out hunting each day. The stew you ate last night? It was rabbit stew. Rabbits trapped and skinned by Daryl. He did not even take a plate of that stew, but prepared his own meal at his tent. Do you believe me to be such a feeble minded fool that I do not realize the way you treat him?

Rick decided to take Lori away from the confrontation. He still needed Dixon to be compliant and torture the man. 

“Lori, go back to our tent. Rest a little bit. This stress is not good for you or our baby.”

Lori gave Hershel a smug smile before swishing back to the tent.

“I’m going to put Randal back in the barn. Please let me know the moment Daryl gets back.”


	17. Chapter 17

Daryl looked in disgust at Grimes. The man had the absolute gall to tell him to get answers from Randall, by any means possible. He did not know how they ran things at the police station Grimes and Walsh came from, but he never had to resort to torture when interrogating a suspect. In Daryl’s eyes, if a police officer had to use brutality to gain a confession, they were not fit to wear the uniform and badge. 

It said a lot of Grimes’ character. Prancing about as his shit does not smell. Grimes, like Walsh, respected nobody. He treated others like they were his mindless drones. Only placed on this planet to serve him and his family. Daryl wanted to tell Rick the fucking prick that if he wanted answers he could go and get answers from Randall by any means. But he also knew if he left the man to his own devices, he may just murder him to get the answers he wanted to hear. 

 

Randall was afraid. It seems that Rick already worked him over. His left eye was swollen shut and his mouth puffy. Daryl may not be as large and imposing like Merle and their father, but he could still be menacing. He obtained confessions from people twice his size, with tempers matching a rabid, crazy black mamba. It was the way his facial expression never changed, almost seeming bored with whatever bullshit they tried to feed him. Daryl never needed to play the little game of Good Cop / Bad Cop, he never needed to pretend to lose control and threaten bodily harm, he never even had to resort and feign sympathy. 

Even criminals misjudged the man. Believing him to be nothing more than an ignorant inbred redneck. He allowed them to tell them their little stories, giving the more and more rope, until finally when they realized they twisted the rope around their own necks, knotted and looped in a perfect hangman’s knot and they were choking themselves on their lies and bullshit. The moment he saw the light going off behind their eyes, realizing that they hanged themselves, that was when Daryl pounced. Sometimes they lost their temper, because they believed Daryl was not giving them the proper attention and respect they deserved, almost screaming in glee their confession.

“So Randall, tell me a bit about yourself.”

“Wha..what do you want to know?”

“I don’t know. You tell me? What did you do before all this?”

“I grew up around here. Went to school with Maggie, she is one tough cookie. Scared the crap out of me. But I always had a crush on Beth. She’s such a sweet kid. I kind of washed up in college. I came back home, to rest a bit, try and get my shit together. I was drifting around a bit. Then this shit happened. You know?”

“Hmm. And after?”

“I was in one refugee camp. When it fell, I managed to escape with two friends I made there. We tried surviving on our own. But then Dave and Tony found us. My two friends were infected and dying. They took me in and cared for me.”

“Tell me about your group. Seem like fine upstanding citizens.”

“A few is a bit rough, but these days, you need to be a bit rough and ruthless. If you’re not, you’ll end up bitten. We’ve got women in the group, even a few kids. About thirty men, well-armed with shotguns, assault rifles. We need to protect each other and the women and children. But only the men go out to scavenge, look for the next safe location…”

“So the men are the scouts?”

“Yeah. We go out, and when we find a place we make sure it is safe. Or like when we find other survivors, we…”

Randall went silent, as if he realized he may have said too much.

“What happens when you find other survivors?”

Daryl’s demeanor still seemed bored and detached. It calmed Randall down and continued his confession. He believed Daryl to be an idiot, but maybe he could win him over. Their group could do with his skills and cold detached personality. He just had to find the right angle.

“We make sure how many men there are, how many women children. What kind of weapons they have. How organized they are. You know? I remember, one night we found this man with his two daughters…”

Randall’s voice tapered. A ghost of a smile appeared on his face.

“Yeah? You found this man and his two daughters?”

Randall did not realize the danger. If there was one thing that could make Daryl lose his temper and beat seven shades of shit from a suspect, it would be a rapist, especially if his victims were under aged.

“They were holed up in this old house. Boarded the windows and doors. The biters could not get in, they were safe there. Been there from the beginning. They had enough food for a long time, had no reason to leave the safety of the house. I mean they did not even a guns with them. The girls each had a knife. The old man a machete and small axe. Was real friendly too. Invited us to join them for dinner. And afterwards desert…”

Randall suddenly realized he did not really know the man in front of him. Despite appearances, he might not like hearing what desert was. In fact, judging by the look on his face, he already realized what was desert that night and he did not approve. For the first time since locking himself in the room with Randall, Daryl showed emotion. He looked dangerous and ready to murder.

“Hey, it was not me man! I did not touch those two girls. I’m just a kid. Afraid to be left alone again. The other men did that and they just left them there afterwards. Their father still tied up, unable to leave. But it wasn’t me man! I did not do anything. I did not touch those two girls.”

Daryl snarled and punched Randall once, twice in the face. The first punch broke Randall’s nose and Daryl smiled at the sound of bone breaking and the gush of blood shooting from the destroyed nose. His second punch broke all the bastard’s front teeth.

“I hope ya choke on your teeth ya fucking piece of shit! Do not try and tell me you did not rape those two girls. I saw the look on your face when you remembered those girls. You and your group must be really a special collection of useless cunts. Tying a man up, forcing him to watch while you defile his daughters and after just leaving them there. You disgust me.”

Daryl left the room, he had to get away, before he killed the prisoner. Storming across the farm yard he looked every bit like the redneck he was. He stopped in front of Grimes, shaking with anger.

“His group is large. About thirty men, armed with the heavy shit. We need to plan, because if they come through here. The men will all be dead and the women will wish they were…”

Daryl turned and left. He had to scout the area. See if there was any sign of Randall’s group. Grimes and Walsh needed to get their shit together. They needed to make plans, if there was any sign of that group, they would be best off just to take their shit and run. Hershel and his family too. Randall was right about two things. One: Maggie was a tough cookie and she would not go down without a fight, but even tough cookies do not deserve getting raped. Two: Beth was a sweet girl. She was almost too soft and innocent for this new world. Carl, Sophia and Beth, those three needed the most protection. Carol was just like Maggie, just because she did not realize it yet, did not make it false. She was tough, she survived all those years under Ed Peletier.

******

Two hours later Daryl returned. He was sweaty and tired. He was still angry at Randall and men like him, but not as furious as he had been. At least there was no sign of his group. If they were really lucky the group would not even get close to the farm. They still had to discuss what to do about Randall. What Daryl really wanted to do was take the man out into the woods, rip of his cock and balls, let him bleed out like the pig he is, before shoving his knife into what passed as the rotten little shit’s brain. There was no reason to waste a perfectly good bullet on scum like him.

Walsh was working at the wind pump, enlarging the platform. Daryl wondered who realized that they could use the wind pump as a lookout? Must have been either Dale or Hershel, since Grimes and Walsh shared one working brain cell between the two of them. The camp broke up with the cars standing in a broken circle in front of the farmhouse. Easy access and ready for a quick getaway. The old camp were broken up and it seems as if everybody was moving into the house, if anything, with winter coming it would be the safest solution. The muddy creek was bound to dry and harden during the winter months, allowing walkers easy access to the farm.

Daryl believed they could learn to co-exist and survive on the farm with Hershel and his family. But before that Grimes and Walsh had to realize, it was still Hershel’s farm and instead of forcing the old man to bow down to their mostly harebrained schemes, but to listen to the old man and work with him, not against him. The land was fertile, there was plenty of water. They could build a solid barrier, surrounding the farmhouse and barn. Plant crops, keep a few chicken, maybe a few pigs and if they were real luck a cow or two for milk. But their continued welcome and survival depended on Walsh and Grimes to co-operate and not to try and run the show.

Daryl knocked on the front door. Hershel saw the quiet man on his front porch. This boy was raised right, well maybe he raised himself right, but he still had manners. He appreciated the fact that Daryl respected him enough to still knock and wait for an invitation to enter.

“Come in Daryl. I need to speak with you, but first tell me, did you see any signs of this Randall’s group?”

“No sir. We’re still lucky, there’s no sign of them and if we are really lucky, they won’t even come this way. We have enough problems without their kind of trouble.”

“Thank you son. I know you are still healing, yet you are out there every day. Hunting, trying to contribute to the farm, making sure we are safe. Now I know you like being on your own, but you also need to move into the house. There’s enough space for everybody and I’d sleep easier knowing you are safe as well. Now I understand if you would prefer to sleep apart from the group, or at least certain members of your group. Can’t say I blame you. The farmhouse is old, but there is a nice room in the attic. Used to be my room when I was just a kid. Nobody used it in a very long time, but you are more than welcome to it.”

Daryl really liked the old man. Walking with Hershel he looked at his new room. It was spacious, he had a 360 view of the yard and it was private. Grimes would shit bricks if he realized the space Hershel gave to Daryl. The old man already told him that Glenn would be moving in with Maggie. He like the Korean kid, but was giving the boy and Maggie a hard time about it. It was just a test, Glenn did not back down, but he was not disrespectful either. He promised Hershel that he would be sleeping on the floor in Maggie’s room and he trusted the kid not to sleep with Maggie under his roof. He knew they already had sex, he may be old, but he was most certainly not stupid. At least Glenn respected him enough not to have sex with his daughter under his roof.

He gave the small room he treated Daryl in to Carol and Sophia. Andrea would bunk with them. The room Carl stayed in was given to the Grimes family. Patricia would be moving in with Beth. Jimmy gave his room to Dale. T-Dog, Jimmy and Walsh would share Patricia’s room. What he really wanted to do was lock Walsh in the barn with the Randall boy, but he would rather have the volatile man where he could keep a close eye on him.

By nightfall everybody was safe in the house. Randall was gagged and restrained in the barn and Rick drew up guard duty. The guard would stay on the platform keeping a lookout, making sure Randall’s group could not sneak up on them and should a horde of walkers approach the farm they had ample warning to evacuate.


	18. Chapter 18

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you to my faithful readers. I appreciate evert comment & the kudos. 
> 
> I dislike the character of Carl with a passion, even Rick irritates me. He does not mind being utterly ruthless, promising to take over someplace if those already living there does not want to dance to the music he is providing - Alexandria ring a bell? Bit the moment somebody draes to threaten his children, esp Carl, who is a liitle douchebag, then he wimps out & start crying like a girl. 
> 
> So in my universe the Grimes family are total douchebags.

It was a week later. Randall was still tied up in the barn, and the group made sure to keep guard. Thus far they’ve been lucky. There’s been no sign of Randall’s group and no sign of walkers. But winter was coming, the creek was going to dry up and then they were absolutely defenseless. Daryl convinced Hershel it would be best if they fortified the boundaries around the house and barn, and small groups went out daily to scavenge supplies to build a wall around at least the farmhouse and barn.

It was Daryl’s turn to keep watch. He was worried, Walsh has been even more unstable as of late. One of these days that man was going to get one or more of them killed. Lori acting more and more like a prima donna, refusing to assist even with the simplest of chores, always with an excuse at the ready, blaming her pregnancy on her inability to even help fold the socks. Grimes was strutting around the farmyard as if he owned the place. His parents’ and Walsh’s attitude was furthermore affecting Carl’s behavior. The boy started refusing doing the small chores expected from the children, such as clearing the dinner plates from the table, when Carol asked him nicely to help Sophia, the boy nearly bit the woman’s head off, screaming at her that she was not his mother and he would only do what his parents told him to do. Lori jumped into the screaming fest and told Carol to stop ordering her son around as if he was her slave. After Carl’s surgery, Grimes gave him his deputy’s hat. The boy copied his father’s cocky strut and pranced about the property with the fucking deputy hat shoved on his head, snooping around and rifling through other people’s belongings.

He caught Carl earlier that very morning, sifting through his belongings. The boy already found his service revolver, weapon dangling carelessly from his fingers. The nosy little brat did not even realize Daryl had been standing behind him.

“Found what ya’ll where looking for?”

Carl nearly suffered a stroke when Daryl spoke behind him. He turned around, that same cocky grin plastered on his face, looking Daryl up and down.

“I was just looking.”

“Well I suggest you stop looking ‘cause there’s nothing in my bags that is any concern to you. Give me the revolver back and get. I don’t ever want to see your scrawny behind near my belongings.”

The look Carl shot him was one of utter loathing, before throwing the revolver down. On his way out Daryl heard the boy mumble “Fuck you”. Will Dixon may be have a bastard from the first waters, but he insisted that his children treat adults with respect. Just because he treated other people like shit, it did not give his two boys permission to do the same. The man broke Daryl’s jaw, just because he forgot to thank Mrs Simpson down in the trailer park when she once gave him a rather stale cupcake. Daryl never failed to say please and thank you after that.

With a frown on his face he watched the boy running up to his father, following him around, apparently patrolling the perimeter, without leaving the porch. Daryl made sure to inform Glenn regarding Carl’s snooping and an hour later almost everybody was informed to keep their belongings locked up and keep a lookout for the boy and his horrible habits.

Daryl drew the short straw. He drew the shift between midnight and six and just as he was about to go to sleep Rick Grimes cornered him. The spat was brief but ugly.

“What gives you the right to swear at my son Dixon?”

Daryl looked the man straight in the eye before answering, “If your boy’s been telling you I swore at him, he is both a liar and a thief. I caught him snooping through my personal belongings, with my spare revolver in his hands. I asked him to drop the revolver and stop going through my bags. He left and when he passed me mumbled in my direction ‘fuck you’. Maybe you and Princess Cupcake should rather raise your child and teach him some manners, then you can continue to strut around the farm like ya’ll are King Shit of the Dungheap and she your queen.”

“I’m pregnant you ignorant redneck fuck! And how dare you tell me and my husband to raise our child?”

Grimes and Walsh started a screaming match, accusing Daryl of being the inbred child of a father and his daughter to being a motherfucker (literally) himself. Walsh kept playing with the safety on his pistol, Grimes started pretending he was Wyatt Fucking Earp, fingering his Colt Python in the holster. Things cooled down the moment Hershel lost his temper and told Grimes and company to their faces that Carl had indeed been snooping through the other survivors’ bags, through his and his family’s belongings and that they should remember they were still nothing more than guests on his farm.

******

The rest of the night passed quickly and Daryl was glad when he saw T-Dog crossing the front lawn. He had a full morning ahead of him, planning to enjoy a three hour sleep before taking his bow and go hunting. Unlike the others he enjoyed the peace and quiet up in the spacious attic, he would just have to remember to take the trapdoor hook with and close the trapdoor behind him. It was not as if he was accusing either Grimes or Walsh to plot his murder, but he has not forgotten the day Walsh tried to sneak up to him in the woods.

 

Daryl returned from a successful hunt, skinned deer slung over his shoulders, the skin neatly wrapped, ready to be cleaned and cured. Carl seemed rather like a cat on a hot tin roof, all jittery and jumpy as if he’d done something he should not have and was now pretending to be a good boy.

Glenn came up to him, while his was butchering the deer.

“Nice deer you bagged.”

“Yup, I think some venison would go down nicely for a change. Spare Hershel’s cattle too. Some people ‘round here’s not been shy round the dinner table. About them cows, how’s the wall coming around their camp?”

Daryl knew the danger the cattle posed. They were loud and the noise they made was bound to attract the attention of walkers. Currently the fence was only a wooden one, sturdy, but if a herd came through like the one on the highway, their combined weight would crush the wooden slats, leading the horde right up to the front porch of the farmhouse.

“Slowly but surely. We damn near stripped the town bare of anything useful to use as a temporary wall, until then we can start building a proper wall around the place, making the cattle, barn and house safe. Hershel is at the end of his tether with Walsh.”

“What did the idiot do?”

“Hershel caught him at the barn, trying to kill Randall. Now I know and Hershel knows Randall and his group poses a threat. Hershel wants every woman in this camp protected and safe from people like them, it does not mean he will condone Randall being shot like a rabid dog though.”

“The Greene’s are good people. Deep down he knows we have to deal with Randall and his kind, but it does not mean he gets to like it or wants to do it right now. What else?”

“Dale caught Carl running back from the direction of the creek. He somehow managed to get his hands on a gun. This time Lori and Rick could not explain it away. Yesterday he stole your revolver and Lori accused you of lying. But they could not do the same to Dale.”

“I understand. Dale is an upstanding member of society and I’m just a Dixon.”

Glenn blushed a little. “I’m sorry. You know it is only Rick, Lori and Shane that treats you different? You are a good man Daryl. Don’t allow Lori and Walsh tell you any different.”

******

It was after dinner, Dale seemed preoccupied and went for a walk. Something was clearly bothering the man, Andrea was already on the watch tower, Grimes was getting ready to sleep, preparing for his midnight to six shift.

Daryl sat on the porch, smoking a cigarette when he heard the scream. It was the kind they all got used to these past few months. The sound of somebody being ripped to pieces by walkers. Daryl made a quick inventory. Everybody was inside except him smoking on the porch, Andrea on the watchtower and Dale still walking up and down, troubled by something.

Grabbing a lantern Daryl ran in the direction of the screams. Behind him he could hear the footfalls of the others following him, but he could not be bothered. He needed to get to Dale. He needed to save the old man.

A few yards in front of him was two bodies in the dirt. One was screaming the other growling and wet ripping sounds could be heard. The figure still on his knees was a walker, dressed in a blue coverall. Without thinking Daryl dropped the lantern and tackled the walker, rolling across the grass he kept the things snapping mouth and claws away from his exposed skin, removing his hunting knife in the process.

One final roll and Daryl was on top of the walker, with a grunt he stabbed the dead bastard in the head a few times, making sure it was finally dead. Only then did he turn to where Dale lay whimpering on the ground.

The walker took a chunk of flesh right out of Dale’s stomach, a big gaping wound, gushing blood and guts. Daryl gulped. Dale was dying, they could do nothing for him expect relieving him from his misery. This was no way for a man to die. 

Grimes tried to shove Dale’s guts back into his body, yelling for somebody to get Hershel, promising Dale that Hershel would fix him up in no time.

Dale’s eyes wide with terror, understanding full well he was going to die in the dirt. Mouth opening and closing, trying to speak. Maybe say goodbye to somebody.

The rest of the group reached them. Hershel fell down to his knees, looking at the horrific fatal wound. He’s been alive long enough when to know this was the end.

“Hershel, thank God. You’ve got to help Dale. We need to patch him up.”

With a soft hand to Dale’s brow, Hershel replied gently, “I’m sorry Rick. There is nothing I can do. If we move him now, he’s going to be dead by the time we reach the house.” Hershel turned his attention to Dale, “I’m sorry. I wish there was something I could do, but you are bleeding out.”

Dale closed his eyes once, making it seem like a nod. He may be dying, but he was not a fool. He knew he was dying and he knew that after he died, the virus would reanimate him, turning him into one of those things.

“Rick, there is still one thing you can do for Dale. Release him. Release him from the misery. Release him from the fear that he would be coming back. Grant him this small mercy.”

Rick nodded, pointing his Python at Dale’s head. His hand was shaking so badly he was bound to shoot himself in the foot. Daryl made a split decision. He walked silently up to Rick, removing the Python from his shaking hand.

Daryl got down to his knees, next to Dale. With one hand he grasped Dale’s reaching hand. Even in Dale’s suffering, he could see the regret shine in Daryl’s face. Daryl wished he had more time with Dale, he wished he could tell him everything about himself and how much he actually liked the old man, even though he made fun of his hat.

Dale squeezed Daryl’s hand, struggling to nod and gave a small understanding smile. He always knew there was more to Daryl Dixon than meets the eye.

Daryl cocked the Python, pointing the damn thing straight at Dale’s head.

“I’m sorry brother…”

 

The single gunshot echoed across the farm.


	19. Chapter 19

Daryl was digging Dale’s grave. He wondered if they were ever going to get used to the killing. He knew it was not murder, that he spared Dale the agony of dying from the wound, worrying that if they would be able to stop him before he attacked somebody else on the farm. But deep down Daryl felt as if he killed an innocent old man. He scrubbed his hands raw the previous evening an in attempt to wash the blood from his hands. He knew he did the right and merciful thing, but it did not stop the guilt.

He wished he had more time with Dale. Contrary to appearances he respected Dale Horvath. Dale had been the voice of reason in their group. He could argue that Dale had too soft a heart, begging for the life of scum like Randall, but Daryl understood him. Dale felt alone and useless in this new world. He felt like he failed Amy and Andrea when Amy got bit and died. He felt like he failed Andrea when he did not allow her to die like she wanted to. He felt like he failed Carol and Sophia when he did not spot the horde of walkers, which resulted in Sophia getting lost in the woods and nearly dying.

Daryl really could understand the reasoning behind Dale’s arguments regarding the fate of Randall. With all the chaos around them, the dead walking, food and water shortage, the lack of safety and then the additional threat of humans senselessly harming other survivors, it went against the nature of Dale. Dale was an optimist and an idealist. He believed in the better nature of mankind. 

Dale did not want to believe that the survivors would continue with their destructive ways. Robbing, raping and killing. Dale believed those negative actions belonged to their previous lives. Because it was now mankind’s fight of survival against the undead. Things that did not care for the colour of your skin, whether you were pretty or ugly, fat or thin, rich or poor, male or female. Dead things that walked around pretending to be alive, biting and infecting the small portion left alive of humanity.

The same qualities of Dale Horvath that made Daryl respect him, was also the exact same qualities that frustrated him about the man. Because the majority of humanity was not nor will it ever be altruistic. Some people changed, they saw the nature of the new world order and changed for the better. Realizing that the old hatreds would only destroy what was left of humanity all the faster. They let go of their prejudiced and bigoted beliefs, realizing that the dead did not care if the person they were biting into was white or black. To those dead fuckers meat was meat and skin was just the container keeping the meat together.

Daryl still remembered the Vatos and the memories of them were bitter sweet. Before they were just a Latino street gang, maybe one of the lesser violent gangs, but a gang none the less. They robbed convenience stores, smoked weed and even sold the drug. None of those guys were the kind good girls brought back to meet the parents. But in the end, they tried to make a difference. They protected those old folks, sacrificing their own lives in an attempt to protect the weakest survivors of society.

And it had not been walkers that killed them all. No, their killers had been survivors. People like Randall and his group who went in and executed a bunch of old people and their caretakers, just because they could. Daryl wondered how many of those killers used to be fine upstanding citizens of society before the world went to shit. Randall certainly had not always been a raping, thieving little shit. 

If only all of the survivors were like the Vatos and Dale Horvath, then the new world would still be difficult, but not a near impossible one to survive in. Even in their own little group he could see the cracks appearing, humanity slipping from them.

There was Shane Walsh, who left his best friend to die in the hospital back in King County. So what if he believed Rick died, but he still left without making sure. He left scum like Ed Peletier continue to abuse Carol. He either killed Otis outright or incapacitated the man enough to be ripped apart by the walkers to ensure his survival. So what if he did that to ensure the survival of Carl? It certainly does not absolve him of the guilt. He plotted to murder Daryl, making his death seem like yet another tragic accident. And let us not forget about his reprehensible actions with the walkers in the barn. The walkers had been locked away in the barn, with no means to escape. Hershel would have realized the truth, but Shane took that away from him. 

The Grimes family is also quite a bit dysfunctional. Rick Grimes strutting around the farm, still dressed in his Deputy Sheriff’s uniform, at least no longer sporting his hat, but only since he gave the fucking thing to Carl. Who was he trying to impress with the uniform? The walkers did not give one flying fuck about the uniform and the badge. The pissing contest between him and Walsh, both trying to be King Shit of the dung heap. Lori Grimes with her convoluted love life, dragging all of them into their messy affairs. Refusing to perform any chores, sitting on her ass barking out orders, reminding everybody that ‘No, I can’t fold them socks, since I’m pregnant. It may harm my baby.” Nobody forced her to fuck her husband and her lover with wild abandon. And her sudden concern for her unborn child? She tried to kill the baby, forcing Glenn to go into town, nearly killing Glenn and Maggie in the process. Besides, she can’t even control the child she has now. Carl’s been running wild since the quarry. Lori never knew where he was, and when she did remember about her son she either dumped him on Dale or Amy or used him as a prop to flirt with Walsh. Daryl was really worried about the boy, his arrogant attitude, snooping around in everybody’s personal belongings. The fact that the boy tried to steal his fire arm.

Andrea was getting a bit better, ever since she accidently shot him, she’s been less of a bitch and acting more like a normal human being. He is all for them learning to defend themselves. The women should not stand there screaming when the dead attack, waiting on some man to come and rescue them. They should learn how to defend themselves. Glenn gained more than a girlfriend, he found pride and his self-esteem. T-Dog is still the same, the same gentle giant who would do anything for those he cared about. Carol and Sophia were the two he’s been most proud of. Carol finally realized she is not some abusive idiot’s punching bag, she realized she is strong and behind her soft voice, gentle smile and pastel clothing, hides the spirit of a warrior.

 

Walsh sauntered over to the grave. “So when do you think you’ll be finished digging the grave? There’s really no need to go all traditional and dig the grave six feet deep.”

“Jesus Walsh! Have some fucking respect. And if you really want me to finish with digging the grave, why don’t ya get of yer lazy fucking ass and help? Maybe if you and Grimes helped with the preparation of the grave, I would’ve been finished ages ago. But no, the two you is standing in the shade, sipping lemonade like two old ladies gossiping.”

“Listen here you inbred red neck hick. Rick is still recovering from the amount of blood he had to donate to save his son’s life and my ankle is still injured when I went to get the necessary medical supplies to save the life of an innocent young boy.”

With that Walsh turned around and rejoined Grimes in the shade, loudly sipping from the glass of lemonade, grinning in Daryl’s direction.

“Yeah, funny how Grimes’ blood loss don’t bother him much when he is strutting around pretending to be the law and how you are only limping when you realize somebody is watching. Lazy fucking shits, that’s what you are.”

Finally the grave was dug, Daryl refused to bury Dale in a shallow grave as if the old man was the victim of a mob execution. They will show proper respect to the old man, even if he has to beat the respect into them.

******

Daryl sometimes wondered whether Hershel had been a preacher as well. He had a way with words, it was like balm to a wound. Carol and Sophia stood with bowed heads next to the grave, crying silently. Andrea was sobbing loudly. 

“Dale met me and Amy on the road to Atlanta. He basically took us in and made us his children and we adopted him right back. Dale once told me that he and his wife always wanted children, but never had been able to. If these past months are any indication, Dale would have made a wonderful father. Dale, I hope that you are reunited with your wife and if you happen across Amy and my parents… give them a hug from me. Tell them that I love them. Rest in peace Dale. I will always love you and never forget you.”

Daryl cleared his throat. He had so much to say to Dale. He always foolishly believed there would be more time.

“Not how did he die, but how did he live?  
Not what did he gain, but what did he give?  
These are the units to measure the worth  
Of a man as man, regardless of birth.  
Not what was his church, nor what was his creed?  
But had he befriended those really in need?  
Was he ever read, with word of good cheer.  
To bring back a smile, to banish a tear?  
Not what did the sketch in the newspaper say,  
But how many were sorry when he passed away.”

With that, Daryl turned around and left. Hershel watched the silent man disappear into the woods. He knew they would not be seeing the hunter until after nightfall.


	20. Chapter 20

Daryl returned from quite a successful hunt, he managed to kill a large deer and had already gutted and cleaned the deer deep in the woods. There was no reason for him to drag the bloody thing through the woods stomach, shit and all. He was tired, his shoulders hurt from the weight of the deer, but it was well worth it.

He heard the screaming and yelling before even clearing the woods. Dropping the deer, Daryl started running towards the farm, hoping that it was nothing serious and not another hoard of walkers. 

The moment Walsh saw Daryl running towards him he started pointing in his direction.

“What the fuck did you do to Randall?”

Daryl frowned, “The fuck ya’ll on about? He’s supposed to be locked in barn.”

“You know very well he is not in the barn Dixon, since you removed him. And don’t even try and deny it, both Lori and Shane saw you.”

Daryl scoffed, “Well Grimes, I reckon you might wanna take your wife and friend into town an’ get ‘em some glasses, ‘cause they are either blind as shit or just plain lying.”

“How dare you? My wife and Shane would never lie to me!”

Daryl wondered whether Grimes fell out of the stupid tree and hit every last branch on his way down. His wife and Walsh never lie to him? The same woman who’s pregnant with either Grimes’ or Walsh’s child? The same wife and Walsh who’ve been having an affair for years? Not that Grimes seemed to be aware of that little titbit. Daryl wondered if Grimes would even be able to recognize the truth if it jumped up and fucked him in the ass.

“And I’m telling you they are either blind or lying. I left the farm early this morning, around five and have just returned.”

Rubbing her back and cradling her stomach, as if she was already nine months pregnant and mere moments away from contractions, Lori started screaming. “I saw you and Shane saw you. You opened the barn and led Randall away from the farm. Don’t even try and deny it, look at you, dirty and covered in blood.”

“Listen here Olive Oyl, ‘course I’m dirty and covered in blood, because I caught a deer. I gutted and cleaned and then carried the damn thing on my shoulders back to the farm.”

“Then where is the deer?”

“Jesus, you’re a real Einstein, aren’t you? I heard the yelling and screaming and dropped the deer to reach the farm faster. I thought there was trouble, but as always the only trouble seemed to be caused by you and Walsh.”

T-Dog and Glenn noticed the direction the hunter came charging from the woods and while Rick, Shane and Lori stood there accusing Daryl of either freeing Randall or killing him in the woods, they slipped into the woods. They knew he went hunting, since he told Hershel early this morning.

A few feet beyond the tree line T-Dog and Glenn discovered the deer Daryl killed. As always Daryl already gutted and cleaned his kill, before returning home.

“I guess we better get the deer back.”

T-Dog believed he would be able to throw the dead animal over his shoulders and carry it back to camp. And why not? T-Dog was a strapping man, taller than Daryl, with broader shoulders and a bigger built. If that skinny white man can carry the deer back from Lord know’s where he killed it, he would most certainly manage the final few feet.

T-Dog managed to drape the deer across his shoulders and take two steps, before his knees buckled under the weight.

“Remind me never to fuck with Daryl Dixon. If that skinny little redneck managed to hunt, kill, gut and clean the deer, before throwing the fucking thing over his shoulders and walking back to camp, he is seriously stronger than I would have believed.”

Glenn laughed at the predicament of T-Dog, but stepped forward. It would be best if the two of them carried the deer back to camp.

“Daryl once told me Merle was tougher than him. Can you imagine that?”

“I’d rather not. If Daryl is the weak Dixon and I seriously suspect he would be able to take my head off with one punch… if I never regretted my part in leaving Merle handcuffed back in Atlanta, I certainly do now.”

It was sobering to the men. Allowing Rick to handcuff Merle Dixon to that rooftop and then abandoning him there, was one of the worst mistakes they ever made. Glenn wondered, not for the first time, if they even would have returned to Atlanta if it had not been for the bag of guns.

Daryl followed closely by Grimes, Walsh and Hershel found the two men still struggling with the deer.

“Ah man, just leave the deer alone. You two pansies are ruining the skin and the meat. By the time ya’ll finished mangling the animal I won’t be able to make that blanket for Sophia.”

Only Glenn and T-Dog knew how heavy the deer was and they watched with fascination as Daryl threw the animal across shoulders and started walking. The man neither bowed nor grunted at the weight of the animal. It seems that Merle is not the only Dixon able to shit out nails if given a hammer.

Walking at a brisk pace, Daryl snarled in the direction of Grimes. “What now Grimes? Who are you going to blame now for losing Randall?”

Rick was at a loss, Shane and Lori both swore they saw Dixon free the prisoner. Now he had to grovel before the hunter, begging him to track Randall down, hopefully they would be able to execute him before he reached their group. Walsh grinned, finally he would be able to take Dixon out. He was the one who let Randall out. He already killed the little shit. Broke his neck and left him in the woods. He will be able to kill Dixon and claim Randall shot the redneck and he broke Randall’s neck in the ensuing fight. Two birds with one stone, he will be the hero once again and Dixon will be gone. What could go wrong?

******

Apparently a lot can go wrong. Daryl went alone. Shane Walsh was stuck with T-Dog. Glenn and Rick formed the third group. Both Walsh and Grimes managed stumble across Daryl, completely lost and not even remotely knowing what the hell they were supposed to be looking for. 

Finally Walsh recognized something. It was a rather odd looking tree and loosely hidden beneath the fallen leaves was the pistol he planned on shooting Dixon with. It was pure luck finding the pistol. He found the loaded pistol in one of the cars back on the highway and instead of sharing the news of his find, he hid the weapon. One never knows when the opportunity would arise to use a secret weapon. Now it was lost, because Randall’s corpse was behind the same tree. His neck quite obviously broken. Shane saw his dreams of a world free from Dixons slip through his fingers. 

The groan alerted the group of the presence of a walker. Shane hoped the walker already started munching on Randall’s corpse, hiding the evidence. Stumbling from behind the tree was Randall. 

Shane was frozen to the ground. He could not believe his eyes. How did Randall turn into a walker, he broke the boy’s neck.

Daryl, being the closest to the walker, reacted first and fast. The moment he heard the groan, his knife was already in his hand, ready to take the fucker down. Without thinking he stabbed the walker in the brain, making sure it was now completely and finally dead.

“Where’s the walker that bit him?”

Daryl grunted. “Ya’ll are useless. Two men left the farm, Randall being one. Whoever left with him, they left all friendly, chatting the whole way. Until right here.” Daryl pointed to something in the dirt. Rick stared at the ground, but all he could see was sand, grass and leaves.

“Right here Randall and our mystery man started fighting. Randall got himself killed and stashed behind the tree, the mystery man went back to the farm.”

“But what about the walker that bit Randall?”

“Ain’t no walker that killed Randall, his neck got broken. Also ain’t no other tracks but those of Randall and whoever took him out of the barn.”

“Then he was infected before you brought him back to the farm.”

“Bullshit. He wasn’t bit or scratched when we brought him back. He impaled himself on the fence and we reached him before the walkers got to him. Besides, Hershel treated him and he would have told if Randall was bit.”

“Yeah well, Dixon, Shane. Whatever happened, our problem is solved. Randall is dead and gone, he won’t be able to lead his group to the farm. Let’s head back. I’m hungry and it’s close to dinner.”

Daryl rolled his eyes, Grimes would never survive without the help of those around him. He is supposed to be a man, but he starts whining like a little baby when his food is one second late. The group reached the farm house in silence. Daryl eyed Walsh up and down. He had been the one to remove Randall and kill him in the woods. He recognized the shoe prints, but since the others were utterly useless tracking it would be his word against Walsh’s. Hershel and his family, Carol, T-Dog and Glenn might believe him, but Grimes was the one hoarding the weapons. What’s to stop Grimes and Walsh murdering him in cold blood, claiming some bullshit excuse for their actions. If there was one thing he learned from his Pa was that one never argue with the man with the gun. No matter how fast you run or how tough you are, there’s no stopping or outrunning a bullet aimed at your head.

Lori’s frantic screaming drifted across the farm. Seems like Lori managed to lose her son, again. Not that Carl was an innocent little boy, always shoving his nose in other people’s business, walking round with an attitude, doing whatever the hell he pleases and Mommy and Daddy leaving the kid to run wild.

The moment Lori saw the men, she started running in their direction.

“Rick! Carl is missing, I thought he was upstairs, but he is gone!”


	21. Chapter 21

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for all the kudos. 
> 
> Happy New Year!

Daryl rolled his eyes. What the fuck? How hard is it to keep track of your own child? She’s literally got one fucking job and she can’t even keep track of the kid. Grimes and Walsh turned back, to try and find Carl before the kid gets himself into a mess his parents cannot get him out of. Daryl sighed, well he better help those two idiots, they would not be able to find their own assholes without the help of a roadmap.

Rick saw Daryl following them. He will find his own son. It is time the group start looking at him with respect again. Ever since the hunter returned with Sophia, they’ve been looking towards the hunter for answers. A stupid redneck hick like Daryl Dixon does not deserve to be respected and trusted. He would not be surprised if Dixon murdered Randall. Dixon and his kind were not like them. 

“Dixon, go back to the house. I will find my son, Shane will help me.”

Daryl scoffed. The only way Officers Dick and Prick were going to find Carl, is if they accidently stumbled over each other. Well, if Grimes couldn’t be bothered to be grateful for all the help offered to him, he’s still got the damn deer to butcher. He turned around and slowly returned to the farmhouse.

Hershel met Daryl on the porch, handing him a plate of food. “Put your feet up son, Maggie and Patricia already butchered the deer and packed the meat in the freezer. Thanks for that. I know some of the others complain and ask why we can’t just eat beef, it is as if they don’t seem to realize, just because I have a herd of cattle grazing does not mean I get to slaughter every cow until we’ve got nothing left.”

Daryl grunted. Hershel need not explain who the idiots were, most probably Grimes and his wife and Walsh. They have all these lofty ideas on how to survive but is unable to come up with a viable solution to realize their ideas. Maybe they all read one too many Harry Potter book, because they seem to think somebody’s got a wand hidden somewhere. Grimes would say, well we need to secure the farm, then we will be safe from the walkers. But he was not able to supply a solution as how to secure the farm. One can’t just wish a 30 foot wall surrounding the farm, with a reinforced steel gate and suddenly it’s there.

“City folk Hershel, city folk. They all seem to think beef comes from Walmart.”

Hershel snorted in laughter. He would have loved to be there when Daryl came back from a hunt carrying squirrels. Squirrel was not something he would have chosen to eat before, but if you are starving, you’ll eat anything as long as it’s not poisonous. His father and grandfather told horrible stories about both world wars. The things people were willing to eat when they were starving. He reckons only Daryl really knows in their little group, what you would be willing to eat if you’re real hungry.


	22. Chapter 22

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry about the delay. Hope you enjoy.

Daryl rolled his eyes. What the fuck? How hard is it to keep track of your own child? She’s literally got one fucking job and she can’t even keep track of the kid. Grimes and Walsh turned back, to try and find Carl before the kid gets himself into a mess his parents cannot get him out of. Daryl sighed, well he better help those two idiots, they would not be able to find their own assholes without the help of a roadmap.

Rick saw Daryl following them. He will find his own son. It is time the group start looking at him with respect again. Ever since the hunter returned with Sophia, they’ve been looking towards the hunter for answers. A stupid redneck hick like Daryl Dixon does not deserve to be respected and trusted. He would not be surprised if Dixon murdered Randall. Dixon and his kind were not like them. 

“Dixon, go back to the house. I will find my son, Shane will help me.”

Daryl scoffed. The only way Officers Dick and Prick were going to find Carl, is if they accidently stumbled over each other. Well, if Grimes couldn’t be bothered to be grateful for all the help offered to him, he’s still got the damn deer to butcher. He turned around and slowly returned to the farmhouse.

Hershel met Daryl on the porch, handing him a plate of food. “Put your feet up son, Maggie and Patricia already butchered the deer and packed the meat in the freezer. Thanks for that. I know some of the others complain and ask why we can’t just eat beef, it is as if they don’t seem to realize, just because I have a herd of cattle grazing does not mean I get to slaughter every cow until we’ve got nothing left.”

Daryl grunted. Hershel need not explain who the idiots were, most probably Grimes and his wife and Walsh. They have all these lofty ideas on how to survive but is unable to come up with a viable solution to realize their ideas. Maybe they all read one too many Harry Potter book, because they seem to think somebody’s got a wand hidden somewhere. Grimes would say, well we need to secure the farm, then we will be safe from the walkers. But he was not able to supply a solution as how to secure the farm. One can’t just wish a 30 foot wall surrounding the farm, with a reinforced steel gate and suddenly it’s there.

“City folk Hershel, city folk. They all seem to think beef comes from Walmart.”

Hershel snorted in laughter. He would have loved to be there when Daryl came back from a hunt carrying squirrels. Squirrel was not something he would have chosen to eat before, but if you are starving, you’ll eat anything as long as it’s not poisonous. His father and grandfather told horrible stories about both world wars. The things people were willing to eat when they were starving. He reckons only Daryl really knows in their little group, what you would be willing to eat if you’re real hungry.

Daryl was busy cleaning his crossbow when the first shots rang out. Hershel was quietly sitting on the porch carrying on a conversation with the hunter. Glenn and Maggie was inside, staring at each other. Beth was playing the piano, singing. Patricia was busy mending clothes. Carol sat with Sophia in her arms, gently rocking her to sleep. Nobody really knew what Lori had been doing, but it was most probably nothing, as always.

At the sound of the third gunshot, Glenn and Maggie appeared on the porch. Each armed with a rifle. Daryl made a quick decision, with those two idiots firing wildly, it could mean only one of two things. Either Randall’s group found them or they stumbled across walkers. Daryl hoped it was walkers. They at least could not fire back.

“Glenn, pack the cars with all the necessary supplies. We might want to abandon the farm. Load the women and Sophia into the RV. T-Dog can drive it. I’m going to try and find Grimes and Walsh, lead them back here. If it is Randall’s group, it would be best if we are long gone before they roll through. If it is a herd of walkers, it would certainly be best if we are long gone. Hopefully it is just three or four walkers.”

Maggie and the rest of the women quickly started loading the vehicles with the supplies. Lori made an appearance, wailing that her husband and son were still out there in the darkness. Glenn rushed towards the wind pump to let T-Dog and Andrea know to abandon their post and return to the farmhouse.

Daryl scanned the tree line, when he saw movement just beyond the barn. Three figures, running at full speed. Two grown men and a child. Grimes, Walsh and Grimes Junior. In their wake, following close behind, came the first walkers. Carl stumbled and Grimes stopped to pick his son up. 

Daryl quickly snapped orders. The farm was about to be overrun. Lori refused to budge, she was not going to leave her family behind. Daryl made sure everybody was safe and waiting his orders to abandon the farm. T-Dog and Andrea forced Lori into the RV, pointing out that her husband and son were close to the farmhouse. Daryl wanted to shoot the idiots themselves as they set fire to the barn. They just made a difficult situation worse. Every damn walker in the county was going to be attracted to the fire, not to mention the horses were still stuck in the stable. They could not take the animals with them, but he would be damned if he let them without a fighting chance.

The smell of smoke and the roaring of the fire unsettled the animals and Daryl could smell the rotting corpses by the time he freed the last of the horses. Hopefully they would be able to escape the slaughter. They could have made a quiet getaway while the walkers were busy devouring the cattle, nothing he could do about those poor dumb beasts, but no, either Grimes or Walsh set fire to the barn, ringing the dinner bell loud and clear.

As he ran towards his truck he could see the last of the tail lights disappearing. Neither Grimes nor Walsh stuck around to make sure Daryl was safe. Stupid fucking pricks. 

Walkers were snapping at Daryl’s heels when he slammed his truck door shut and drove away, in his rearview mirror he saw the horde tear through the farmhouse, attracted by the fresh smell of humans. At least everybody escaped the farm. It could have been a hell of a lot worse, Grimes and Walsh at least in advertently warned the group that a shitstorm was on its way. It gave them time to properly evacuate the farm.

An hour later Daryl reached the rendezvous point. He could hear Lori screaming over a mile away. Stupid fucking cow was attracting every walker to their location. Sometimes, alone at night, Daryl plays a little game of what if. What if he decides – fuck the group and leave them to their own devices. He would condemn everybody to death, just because he was sick and tired of Grimes and his wife and Walsh. What if he feeds Lori Grimes to the walkers? Then he would have murdered the innocent child she was pregnant with.

If not for the fact that Daryl actually cared about the majority of the group he would have left them in the dust. If not for the fact that Carl Grimes was still a child, a little prick in the making, but still a child. There was time to teach him right, if he was willing to listen. And the fact that Lori Grimes was pregnant, he would have kicked the Grimes family and Walsh to the curb.

“I’m telling you we should leave. Dixon is either dead or bit. You all saw him, running towards the stables, to save those stupid horses!”

Daryl slammed his truck door. He would not have needed to run back to the barn, if either Grimes or Walsh freed the horses while the other one set the barn on fire.

“Ya’ll know how much we inbred redneck hicks loves our animals. I could not leave those horses to either burn to death or to be ripped apart in the stable. They still might be, but at least now they have a fighting chance.”

Hershel crabbed Daryl’s hand. He understood his cattle had already been ripped to pieces and even his horses were not really safe. But like Daryl said, he gave those horses a chance. Just because they were animals, did not mean he would approve in leaving them to die like that.

“What do you care Dixon? You are a hunter. You hunt and trap animals all day long. Now you want to come and preach to us about the well-being of a bunch of horses?”

Daryl scoffed, of course Walsh would miss the point completely.

“Yeah, I care Walsh. Just because I hunt it does not mean I torture the animals. Even those stuck in my traps die a quick death. I do not leave them there to starve to death. That is why I check my traps twice a day. I make it a clean shot and release them, without undue suffering.”

Hershel remembered to pack his map of the area. Pointing to places that could serve as a safe haven. Grimes had one smart idea, to build barricades around a town and make a safe haven for themselves. It really was a good idea, but he completely forgot one thing. They needed a town close to a water source. They also lacked the manpower to build walls around a town. They could have attempted it if their group was twice the size, with the majority being able bodied and strong men.

Daryl scanned the map, before finding what he had been looking for. He knew the damn place was close. A good number of the men he arrested over the years were sentenced to the West Georgia Correctional Facility after all. The prison could be a safe haven, until they found a suitable town and started erecting walls around the place. Either that, or they could use the prison as a permanent home. It was already enclosed by strong fences, they could still reinforce the fences, just to make the place even more secure. The walls of the building was thick, it would be cool in the summer and warm in the coming winter. They could use the guard towers as look outs, giving them early warning to an either approaching horde or any other hostiles. In short – the place was safe, secure and easily defendable.

Daryl pointed to the prison, “What about the prison? There’s a stream running next to the fences and the place is already secure.”

Walsh sneered at the man he believed to be an ignorant hick, one with a criminal record to boot. 

“What Dixon. Missing home already?”


	23. Chapter 23

Daryl scoffed. The man was really just as tasteless as his stupid jokes and remarks. 

“What’s wrong Walsh? Afraid of prison? Is just a building.”

“What do you mean what’s wrong with me? It is the prison, filled with prisoners, that’s what’s wrong.”

Daryl really wanted to roll his eyes. Could one man really be so fucking stupid?

“I didn’t say we stroll in an’ set up house. I said we best check the place out. See if it is safe. Is better than driving around the fucking countryside, wishing and praying a safe place would fall out of the sky.”

“Well I still say it is best to find a small town and barricade ourselves in.”

“Know of any handy small towns around? Better have a viable water source too. Besides who’s gonna erect the wall around the town? Who’s gonna protect those building the wall? Who’s gonna find material for the wall? Who’s gonna protect the women and children while the rest of us work?”

Hershel cleared his throat. Daryl was correct, they were all wishing and praying on a small town, filled with comfortable beds and separate houses, but they lacked man power. It was basically a thirty man job and they were only six men. The prison was their best bet at the moment, if the place was secure, they could make a temporary home there. They would be able to find a viable town, at leisure. While the men worked on building a sturdy barricade between themselves and the walkers, the women would be safe in the prison.

“Rick, I know I’m just an old man, but I do believe Daryl is correct. It is not to say we have to stay at the prison, but it would be our best bet until we do find a better place. If it is clear, we could make a temporary house there. Nothing would be able to get in. The women and children would be safe there. We could then take our time to find a suitable town, with all the necessary requirements, without having to worry about losing one of the women or children.”

Rick grunted, “Yup, maybe you’re right. We’ll check it out in the morning. For now I suggest we raid the cars on the highway, gather anything and everything of use. Now, I debated on telling everybody. It was something Jenner told me back at the CDC. I did not tell you, because I did not believe it myself. I thought Jenner was just lying, trying to get us to stay. But now … Randall…”

His voice drifted, Daryl wished the man would hurry the hell up and share the news to the rest of the group that they were all infected. If you die, you come back. No matter if a walker did not bite or scratch you. The virus was in all of them, maybe in the air they breathed. Jenner may not have shared that little titbit with him, but between him and Merle they put down quite a number of walkers and every now and again, they would find a walker without bite marks.

Now, one could say that they were infected and suffered a bit before they died. That the bite mark was beneath their clothes, hiding the evidence. But he saw enough. Like the first unbitten walker. The man shot his wife and three children in the head. Probably to make sure they did not suffer and that their deaths were fast and painless, not because he knew about the infection. He found his pistol, out of bullets, so it seems as if he used the last of his bullets to murder his wife and kids. So he hanged himself and after he died, he turned. Unlike the walker swinging like a meat piñata back at the highway, he hung himself high enough to ensure roaming walkers would not make a meal of him. So there he was, swinging from a branch, growling and groaning when he smelt the Dixon brothers. He and Merle cut him down, Merle wanted to know where the man had been bit. But they could not even find a mosquito bite on the hanging walker, much less anything that resembled as much as a bite.

“We’re all infected.”

Grimes blurted the bad news out, not even trying to soften the blow. Daryl wondered whether Grimes and Walsh had ever been used to be the bearer of bad news. He could just see those two, walking up to this nice looking little house. White picket fence, pristine flower beds, knocking on the freshly painted door.

 

 

Lori started fanning herself, as if she had the vapors. Andrea threw up. Beth started crying. Nice way to break the news you fucking douchebag. Shane experienced a little meltdown.

“What do you mean we are all infected?”

“Just what Jenner said. He told me everybody was infected. Once we die, we will come back as a walker. Being bit or scratched just make the turn happen faster.”

Rick noticed the look on everybody’s faces. They were pissed because he did not share the news. It was besides the point that Daryl knew, not that he had been willing to share that little titbit with the rest of the class, they would not have believed him in any case. Daryl got the distinct impression that Grimes suppressed the news for two reasons. One: he did not want to believe Jenner and Two: he wanted to wait for the right moment to share.

“Stop looking at me like that! I’ve had to make all the hard decisions around here, because nobody else wanted to. You don’t know about the things I’ve had to do to protect you. I was forced to solve the problems in Atlanta and save all of you.”

Grimes started laying out about all the tough decisions he had made, the problems he had been forced to solve, forgetting that he or his family caused those problems in the first place. He forgot that Glenn and his little group would not have needed to be saved in Atlanta, if he did not enter the city on horseback. Pretending to be the sheriff riding in to clean up the town. Forgetting conveniently that he chained his brother to that rooftop as if the man was a rabid animal. He neglected to mention that he abandoned Sophia in the woods, claiming he was unable to pick up a slip of a girl and run with her. He forgot to mention that if not for him and Shane’s callous behavior Carl would not have been shot in the first place. He forgot that it had been Daryl who went back to the woods day after day looking for Sophia, taking an arrow and a bullet in the process. He implied that the barn incident had been a tragedy waiting to happen and had been forced to take care of Hershel’s little problem. A problem caused by Walsh and his brash behavior.

“I am in charge now. And if you don’t like it…be my guest and leave...”

Daryl really wanted to get back in his truck and leave the group behind. But his previous number of people that needed protection from the utter idiocy and sheer arrogance of Rick Grimes and Shane Walsh grew. If he was able to convince Hershel and his family, Sophia, Carol, T-Dog and Glenn to follow him he would still be abandoning Carl Grimes and the unborn baby. 

So Daryl stayed and the rest of the group stayed because Daryl stayed. They would have followed Daryl if he had decided to get in his truck and leave Rick Grimes and his growing ego. Carol realized why Daryl refused to leave. She knew they were the reason. She knew ultimately Carl and the unborn baby were the reason. Daryl Dixon may be a rough man, he may shy away from human contact, he may be sullen, but he had his honour and that honour will not allow the man to abandon people that needed his protection, no matter how cruelly they treated him and his brother in the past.


	24. Chapter 24

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for all the comments & kudos.
> 
> I can't wait for the 2nd half of the 8th season to start. Am I the only one who is glad Carl's is on his way out? That kid's been bugging me since the 1st episode. But then I don't care much about Rick either, he is every bit mentally unstable as Shane & Negan. 
> 
> My absolute favorite is Daryl Dixon and I hope he really will be the last man standing.

The three men kneeled on the far side of the river. Daryl had been pleased to notice that the fences seemed to have held and the prison yard was at least secure. He was not however pleased with the number of walkers roaming around. As far as he could see the walkers all used to be inmates. What a bloody way to die, still dressed in those silly little slippers and the god awful grey prison uniform. The only other way would be roaming around butt naked. Daryl snickered silently as he remembered the preacher, that narrow minded little asshole who used to picket funerals for soldiers. Daryl wished more than once he could walk up to that man, grab him and give him a good hard shake, maybe even give the bigoted bastard a slap or two, reminding him that it was because of those dead soldiers and the dead cops he seemed to hate so much, that he had the freedom to insult them. 

It was about a month after everything went to shit. He and Merle had still been on their own, when they came across this ratty little fleabag motel, the kind of establishment which could no longer attract decent customers. Their only customers had been prostitutes and drug dealers. Not really the kind of place one would expect law abiding citizens. So there they were, shaking each room down for any supplies, whether it had been a necessity (such as food) or a luxury item (such as toothpaste and shampoo). They refused to touch the clothes, bedsheets or open food products. Lord knows what kind of viruses crawled on everything and there was not enough water in the state of Georgia to sterilize those blankets.

They made quite a nice haul by the time they reached the last room. Sardines, baked beans, Spam, they even snagged a sealed bottle of Jack Daniels, a sealed tube of toothpaste and two cartons of cigarettes. The door was locked from inside and as Merle kicked the door down, two very naked, very dead things came out. The first one had been a prostitute, and by the looks of her an underaged one at that, the second one, still with the condom hanging from his dead bits, had been the same sanctimonious prick. Daryl took great pleasure in bashing his head in on behalf of all the dead soldiers and their families. Daryl refused to search the room as he did not want anything that bastard touched. 

“Well, I hope you are happy Dixon. Care to comment on the number of walkers in the yard?”

“As a matter of fact Walsh… I am happy. Before you started pissing about the number of walkers in the yard, did you notice that the fences are intact? Did you notice that every walker in the yard are still dressed in their prisoner uniforms? Because if you did, then you would have realized the prison seems to be secure, there does not seem to be a breach in the walls and fences. That means there will be a limited number of walkers to take out.”

Rick did his best to stop the brewing fight between the two men. As much as it pained him to admit Dixon had been right about the prison.

“Shane, go back to the others. Meet us in front of the main gate, as soon as possible. The quicker we clear the yard, the better. We may have to camp outside in the yard tonight, but at least we will be safe. If were are really lucky, we will be able to take one cell block tomorrow.”

Walsh complained like an old woman all the way, he complained from the number of bullets they would need to expend to clear the yard up until the fact that it seems as if they were going to live inside a prison. They were all just a bunch of spineless pussies, saying it would be too difficult and dangerous to find a town and secure the damn thing. Now he was forced to live in a fucking prison like a common criminal.

Rick motioned to one guard tower, “Carol, T-Dog take up position in that guard tower. Andrea, Dix...Daryl take the other. Beth, Lori, Carl and Hershel… I want you to make as much noise as possible attracting walkers to you, take as many out as possible. Shane, Glenn and Maggie you’ll patrol the fences and shoot any stragglers.”

Daryl realized what Grimes’ plan was. He was going to make a run for the open gate and close the rest of the walkers on the other side in. Daryl wondered why Rick volunteered himself for the dangerous run. It would have been best to have their best shooters in the guard towers taking the walkers out and their fastest runner rushing to close the gate. That meant Glenn. Not that he wanted Glenn to run the gauntlet, but still, Glenn was the fastest and Grimes was a better shot. So why take on the dangerous part himself? Surely it could not be because the man finally started caring for the others in the group as well? It did not bother him before to place any other member in harm’s way.

It came suddenly to Daryl. Rick Grimes wanted to make himself look good. He wanted to be seen as the hero in the eyes of his wayward wife and their son. He wants to make himself look like the type of leader who would not ask any of his followers to do something dangerous, if he was not prepared to do it himself. He also knew the rest of the group, he could not dare send in Walsh, as somebody’s finger may just slip and either miss the walker completely or manage to blow Walsh’s head off. Grimes just better hope Walsh’s aim is steady and true. But then again he placed Walsh on the ground, no change of Walsh accidently taking out the completion then.

Sooner, rather than later Little Ms Sunshine have to make a choice, her husband or her lover. She can’t keep stringing both of them along. Hopefully their little soap opera will not cause the death of anybody in the group. It was bad enough that Shane already caused the death of Otis and Carl the death of Dale.

 

******

Somehow Grimes did not die on his suicide run, not that it had been his skill that saved him. Daryl, Carol, Andrea and T-Dog struggled to keep the man alive. Now they were safe in the prison yard, a nice little campfire going, Beth singing whatever song Hershel asked her to sing. Daryl stood watch on the overturned prison bus. 

After clearing the yard of walkers and dumping their bodies, ready to be burned the next morning, Daryl grabbed his crossbow, hoping to shoot something for dinner. An hour later he returned with four squirrels, Lori grumbled at the sight of the squirrels, complaining that she was tired of squirrel meat. 

Rather than start yet another shouting match, Daryl dumped the squirrels on the ground and made himself at home on top of the overturned prison bus. It had been a long day and he was not in the mood for Lori’s pissing. She complained the most about having to eat squirrel, but as soon as the food was done (not that she had any hand in preparing the meal), she would grab the most of the food for herself. 

Daryl could still hear Beth singing. The girl had a nice singing voice, Daryl both loved and hated the sound of her singing. The sound of her sweet voice reminded him of what they had lost. It reminded him of Merle and how hard Merle worked to clean himself up. At least she managed to shut Lori up. The woman was most probably fuming, just another thing she could not do. But then again, it was not as if fucking men or fucking them over had really been a talent to be proud about.

The food was ready and the moment Carol started plating their meal, Lori stopped her bitching about yet another meal consisting of squirrel meat. She eyed the plates hungrily, but Carol ignored the woman. She made sure to serve the children first. Lori was growing impatient, she was hungry and Carol took too long to serve the meal. She did not mind that Carol served her son a plate of food, but in all honesty, she should have received the second plate.

With an impatient snort, Lori grabbed a bowl, filling it to the brim with the stew, not caring that there was only so much food available, not caring that others needed to eat as well. The moment Lori had her bowl of food, Rick and Shane helped themselves. Carol sighed as she saw the contents of the pot, she opened her mouth to complain, but noticed Hershel giving her a little shake of his head.

Carol was royally pissed. Daryl was the one who went hunting for the food. Neither Rick nor Walsh ever volunteered to go with the hunter, not that Daryl would have allowed them to join him on the hunt. He did not trust those two men. He did not trust them not to fuck the hunt up and he did not trust them with his life. Either she or Beth or Maggie cooked the food. Lori did not offer to stir the pot, Andrea absolutely refused. She would no longer be relegated to ‘female only’ jobs.

But at each meal Rick, Lori and Shane grabbed the most food, or making sure Carl had a plate. As Carol scraped the last bits of stew into Daryl’s plate, she saw the hungry look Lori shoot the bowl. Carol could not help but notice that Daryl did not join them, even after all this time the man was uncomfortable in their presence. Putting her own empty plate down, she grabbed Daryl’s plate and walked over to him.

Lori clearly thought Carol was out of earshot, when she whined, “I’m still hungry…is there anything left?”

 

Daryl saw the woman approach the bus, he kneeled down to help her up.

“Here, I brought you something to eat, otherwise you would have gone without.”

She did not say it, but Daryl could hear the “again” in her voice.

“Seems like little Walsh is very hungry tonight.”

Carol laughed, she should not have laughed, but it was funny. Everybody seemed to underestimate Daryl Dixon. They saw the man and decided they knew everything about him. It was something that always bothered Carol, people like Lori, Shane and Rick deciding somebody must be a lowlife because he had a tattoo or two. They must be drug using, raping, thieving, murdering scum of the earth because of the tattoos and the fact that they rode bikes. Through the years, being married and oppressed by Ed, Carol learned differently. Every time she was walking home with the heavy grocery bags in her arms, all those decent, God fearing folk in their nice cars, and their nice clothes, without so much of an idea of a tattoo would drive past her, pretending not to see her. And every time it had been a biker that stopped and helped her home. She received more kindness from the bike riding, tattoo riddled low lives than the so called decent Christians. 

 

Daryl stayed the whole night on the bus. It was not that he feared the fences would not hold, but he was comfortable there. It reminded him of their old shack in the woods. The nights he had to hide from his father and fled to the roof. His old backpack doubled as a pillow as Daryl looked up into the night sky. Every now and again he would notice a satellite, reminding him that humanity once had a space program, men walked on the moon and now those satellites where circling the planet in vain. His final thought was centered around the space station and whether there were still astronauts trapped inside.


	25. Chapter 25

Daryl stood with his knife ready. In a moment they will start clearing the rest of the outside. It was going to be dangerous, but Grimes decided that they should rather not use their guns. For once Daryl somewhat agreed to Walsh’s bitching, but he also understood the necessity of it. But that did not mean he had to like it.

“Okay, so we are clear? Me, Shane, Di..Daryl, Glenn, T-Dog and Maggie will clear the rest of the yard.”

Daryl had to repress the urge to bitch slap Grimes. Sure he understood the way the world was now, but it did not mean being chivalry died. He was all for equal rights for women, but men still had their job to do and their job was to protect women and children. If Maggie had been a cop or a soldier, he would have been a whole lot more comfortable with Grimes’ plan. Sure the girl was tough as nails, but it did not negate the fact that she was untrained. He could see that neither Glenn nor Maggie were comfortable with the plan.

“Nah man, let Maggie stay.”

“We need all the fighters that we can get Dixon!”

“I know that Walsh! But those that stay behind, need protection as well. Maggie can protect the others on the outside. I may only be a stupid inbred redneck hick, but at least I still believe in fucking chivalry.”

Glenn and the Greene family looked pleased and relieved at Daryl’s statement. Hershel wished he had been a few years younger, then he could have taken Maggie’s place. 

“No, we are all for chivalry. We are cops after all. But what you want to do is keep the little women in their place. Barefoot and pregnant in the kitchen.”

Their little argument of being cops were getting old. Daryl have never been to King County, but it seems like a very fucked up place. Have they forgotten that it was a cop’s duty to protect and serve? Or do they only protect those they care about and fuck the rest?

“We all heard you the first million times. If Maggie had been a cop or a soldier or at least received some sort of formal training, I would be first to allow her to join us. Do you feel that she must be there because somebody has to represent the Greene family? The only woman in this group that received any sort of training had been Lori and it was only firearm training…”

Rick snapped, “Lori is pregnant. If you think for one moment that I am going to allow the mother of my children to be placed in harm’s way…”

“By your reasoning Rick, if you think for one second I am going to allow either you or Shane to place any of my daughters in harm’s way. Maggie is not going in there. If you feel that we need to earn our keep, just remember, I am the only in this group with some medical training. I am the closest thing to a doctor your pregnant wife is going to get. We will earn our keep, but I will not allow you and your ego to place my daughters or Carol and Sophia in danger. I took you in at the farm, I gave you all a safe place to stay, food to eat. And Shane, just because some men feel the need to protect women and children, does not mean we are chauvinistic pigs, burning with the desire to keep them barefoot and pregnant in the kitchen.”

 

The five men stood in a tight circle, taking out walkers as the undead fuckers came at them. There were a few tense moments when walkers, who used to be guards, still dressed in full riot gear, came stumbling around the corner. It was tough, since they had to either snap its head back or forward before impaling the knife in its brain, but at least they were unable to bite or scratch them.

It was close to nightfall when every last walker on the outside had been put down and taken to a clearing on the outside of the prison. It was decided that they would burn the corpses on the outside, as they did not want to contaminate the ground on the inside. Hershel already had plans to start a vegetable patch and looking for small animals. He had a dreamy look on his face when he planned on building a chicken coop, a pig pen and maybe a small enclosure for a goat or two. 

Lori walked into the cell block, her nose curled at the smell and sight of the place. Daryl had to suppress a snort, what did she think this place was? Part of the Hilton hotel chain? At present all they needed was a roof over their heads and thick walls and fences keeping them safe. They can clean the prison up. If everybody pulls their weight, they could be more than capable making the prison home. 

Daryl stood watch that night, he did not trust Grimes and Walsh enough to sleep in one of the cells. He was a light sleeper, but accidents happen. He just might find himself locked into a cell, never to be let out again, well not alive.

It was quiet. Hershel assigned rooms to his daughters. Beth’s room was in the middle, Carl tried to bunk with the girl, much to the delight of his parents and Walsh, before Hershel decided to play cockblock. Not that Beth would have allowed the little boy to try anything with her, but still. On Beth’s right, was Hershel’s room and on her left, Maggie and Glenn. Carol and Sophia’s room was next to Hershel’s and T-Dog made sure to pick the one next to Carol. The Grimes family and Walsh took the last three cells on the block.

 

“Honey, I don’t feel right about this. Look at this place. We can’t stay here. I can’t have our baby in a prison. Carl can’t grow up here. It is filthy. It is crawling with disease and Lord only knows how many walkers.”

Rick tried to soothe his distraught wife. She was right of course. A prison is no place to have a baby and raise their children in. But at the moment, they were out of options. The farm was lost. His idea of a small town, surrounded by thick high walls seemed like a pipedream at the moment. His first priority was to keep his wife and children safe and happy.

“I’m sorry Lori. At the moment, it is the best I can do. I had hoped we could stay at the farm, we could have made the farm safe. If only I had more help doing the necessary. Let’s just make the best of it. I will find us a small town, one we can fortify. One with actual houses and beds. Tomorrow we have to push deeper into the prison, make sure every last walker is put down. I want you and Carl to stay outside. If anything goes wrong, take the car and run.”

“What about cleaning? You heard Carol and Maggie. They want to start cleaning this cell block tomorrow, you know, wash the floors, well basically everything. I keep telling them that they can’t expect me to work as hard, but Carol just rolls her eyes at me, telling me I’m not the first woman to get pregnant in trying times and I won’t be the last…”

Rick kissed his wife, trying to dispel her fears. He was not going to allow his family to be in danger. Dixon wanted to live in the prison, he can damn well make sure the place is clean and safe for his family. That redneck may not realize it, but the moment they don’t need him anymore, he is gone. He tried to tell him back at the farm, that they had a base of operations and there was nothing keeping Dixon with them, but Daryl stayed. He went out each day to search for Sophia. It was Sophia’s fault Carl got shot in the first place. If the damn stupid girl did not bolt from the highway and then had been absolutely fucking braindead by leaving the hiding place and veering of course, getting herself hopelessly lost. Then he would not have been searching for the girl in the fucking woods in the first place, which allowed Carl to be shot. Deep down Rick was actually glad Otis died back at the FEMA camp. Make no mistake, he knew Shane had a hand in Otis’ demise, but he deserved it. The fat bastard deserved to be ripped to pieces by the walkers. 

 

Daryl scoffed at the prisoners in front of them. It would not have been necessary to be holed up in the prison kitchen if Walsh did not decide to play Wyatt Earp and start shooting. What did the man not understand of stay the fuck quiet? No he was his usual cocky loudmouthed shitty self, which attracted more walkers. Walkers they still would have been able to handle, but the idiot finally lost his shit and started shooting. That level of noise attracted every last fucking walker to their position. 

And now they were holed up in the prison kitchen, staring at five prisoners who had been locked inside since the shit started. He recognized one of the prisoners, a volatile little gangbanger, Tomas something or the other. The little shit was a real piece of work. Assault, assault with a deadly weapon, robbery, battery, rape, you name it Tomas had done it. Daryl made it his mission to track down Tomas and bring him to justice. 

Tomas was certainly the most dangerous of the group and unfortunately he was also armed. Standing close to him, almost molded to Tomas’ body was a shorter, very skinny little black dude. This one was Tomas’ prison bitch and would blindly follow his boyfriend to hell and back. The other three seemed harmless. Daryl did not want Tomas and his bitch in the prison, but the other three may stay, if they should choose to remain. Maybe they would, it is not as if there was anything better going on the outside.

Tomas recognized the pig who arrested him. Andrew’s ass was sweet, but he sure missed a soft woman. The only thing he really liked about Andrew was that the man loved it when Tomas got a bit rough and slapped him around a bit, those stupid bitches on the outside all say they like it rough, but run to the cops the moment he slaps them a little.

Tomas hated cops, lawyers, judges, those stupid bitches who scream assault and rape, even when they asked for it. But he hated this fucking pig even more than all of them put together. He had been the one to lock him away, the one who made sure none of the State’s witnesses disappeared this time. And there he was, standing as clear as day, with a fucking crossbow, like he was Rambo. He was going to kill that fucking pig. He was already in prison and by the sounds of things these past few months, the world on the outside may not be doing so good.


	26. Chapter 26

Grimes agreed that the prisoners could stay, if they keep to a designated, yet still to be cleared of walkers, part of the prison. Of course Tomas and his little bitch Andrew complained. Big Tiny, Axel and Oscar just took it in stride. Too happy not to be thrown on their asses on the outside of the prison. Clearing the laundry room turned out to be somewhat problematic.

Grimes, in all of his infinite wisdom, decided that Tomas should be the one to open one of the double doors, in an attempt to bottleneck the walkers on the other side. There had been just tiny little problem. Neither Grimes nor Walsh made any secret of them being cops. It was like waving a red flag in front of a bull. Of course the little shit was going to try and take the two cops out. Daryl heard him ranting when he arrested him. The son of a bitch did not stop complaining and bitching just how much he hated cops and how, someday, he would get his revenge on every last motherfucking piece of shit cop.

Tomas quickly opened both doors before jumping out of the way of danger. Rick gave Tomas a dirty look.

“What the fuck? I told you to open one door!”

Tomas gave Grimes a cocky, see if I fucking care look. Just then the walkers on the other side stumbled into the laundry room. Grimes turned his attention towards the walkers, which was kind of a dumbass mistake in Daryl’s eyes. Walkers were predictable, Tomas however was not. Daryl believed there was a few things in life a smart man never turns his back to. The ocean, an injured or aggravated animal, a pissed off woman and Tomas.

The first walker reached Tomas first. The backstabbing little shit, grabbed the walker by its shoulders and basically threw him at Grimes. Daryl may not like Rick Grimes a lot, but he hated walkers more. 

Rick saw his life flashing before his eyes. He could not believe it, after everything he was going to die in a fucking prison. A motherfucking dirty, walker infested prison. He could not believe Tomas. After everything he did for the man, the hand of friendship he extended towards him and his fellow inmates. He allowed them to stay at the prison. He allowed them in close contact with his wife and family. And what did he do? Betray him, 

Chaos reigned and everybody in the group was busy, nobody could help him. He could not even reach his weapon as he had to struggle to keep the fucking dead thing’s snapping mouth away from his face. Even through the snarling and screaming Rick could hear the unmistakable twang of Dixon’s crossbow followed by the quick whistling sound of the arrow rushing towards its target.

Thank God for rednecks. Much to Rick’s surprise Dixon took the walker snapping at his face out. He gave the hunter a small nod, that was all Dixon was going to get as thanks. Not even the apocalypse would change the fact that normal people do not mix with rednecks.

After all the excitement the fierce battle lasted only a few frantic minutes. The boiler room was deadly silent as Rick glared at Tomas.

“What the fuck was that?”

Tomas shrugged and laughed.

“You know man. I got scared. That’s all, I got scared. You know how it is.”

Rick’s eyes narrowed to a slit, before he gave a small smile.

“Yeah, I know. I know how it is.”

Daryl watched the scene playing out. Even if he did not know Tomas, he would have realized Tomas had been lying right there and then. This was a man who had nothing left to lose and with the world gone to shit, he had finally free reign to do as he pleases, without any repercussions. The small cocky smirk and the way he handled himself just screamed “COP KILLER!”

And even though Daryl suspected King County drew all the dumbest shits as cops, even Grimes seemed to realize the danger. He kept playing with the hatchet in his hands, gently caressing it, as if the fucking thing was his wife. He gave Tomas a little smile, before replying he understood. Tomas relaxed a bit, believing that the cop believed his little lie, believing that he was safe to plot the murder and rape of innocents on another day.

“Yeah, I know how it is.” The movement was so fast, Daryl nearly missed it. One moment Grimes was chatting with a rather friendly little smirk on his face with Tomas, the next moment the hatchet was buried in Tomas’ skull. Death was instantaneous. Tomas died with that same shit-eating cocky little smirk on his face.

Big Tiny, Axel and Oscar immediately fell to the ground, arms and legs spread out wide. Showing they were no threat. Andrew started screaming, a high-pitched noise, actually the same whiny screeching noise Lori Grimes made when she wanted to show everybody in the group that she was royally pissed off.

Without a second thought, Walsh shot Andrew in the back of the head. He calmly holstered his pistol before turning to the three prone prisoners on the floor.

“Are we going to have a problem with you three?”

Axel lifted his head and shook it.

“No, we aren’t like Tomas. We won’t cause any trouble. Just don’t kill us and don’t throw us out.”

Cleaning the rest of the cell block after that little incident was a breeze. Grimes left the three prisoners with only a key to the enclosed area on the outside, so that they could drag the corpses out and burn it, before locking them in and leaving. Daryl gave an apologetic nod to the three. He understood those three, they may have been in prison, but it did not mean they were bad guys. It just meant they made a mistake and were paying for it. It could either be very fortunate or unfortunate that they were stuck in prison when the world ended.

Grimes and Walsh were clearly of the mindset that did not believe in either redemption or stupid mistakes. They believed themselves to be above the law, just because they used to wear a badge. Cops like Walsh and Grimes made honest cops lives a living hell. Cops like them were the ones who would coerce free meals and drinks. They were the ones who accepted bribes. They would be the ones to offer protection towards drug dealers and prostitution rings and accepted rewards from those very same people they vowed to protect others from. And when they were caught, they believed that very same badge they have been dishonoring was going to protect them. That their brothers and sisters in blue must shield them.

It took the group nearly a week before Hershel finally had been able to convince Grimes and Walsh that he would take personal responsibility for the three prisoners. Slowly but surely the three men integrated into their little group. The prison slowly but surely became more habitable. Axel used to be an electrician and cleaned the generator to use for emergency purposes. Daryl managed to snag quite a few solar panels and Axel installed the solar panels, bypassing the old electrical grid and before they knew it, they enjoyed electricity.

Big Tiny was nothing more than a gentle giant and he pottered around in the yard, clearing land to plant crops. A shy request to Daryl ensured that Daryl searched for the necessary equipment to allow Big Tiny to build a greenhouse.

Everybody lent a hand wherever and whenever they could to clear the prison, making it not only habitable but a home. The only problems seemed to be the Grimes family, Walsh and Andrea. Andrea refused to perform any chores she deemed to be girly. It also included working in the garden and vegetable patch. She refused the animals, Daryl and Glenn found a sow ready to give birth to her litter of piglets. She refused kitchen duty and barely consented to clean her own room. She did insist on guard duty, walking around the prison with her pistol strapped to her side and the rifle slung over her shoulder. It was not as if anybody went unarmed these days, but Andrea insisted on chores she perceived as male. Daryl was slowly losing his patience with the woman, but with Grimes and Walsh still running the show and squarely in her camp, there was not much Daryl could do. 

Hershel tried talking with Andrea, trying her to accept that nobody expected her to become a Stepforth wife, she was expected to pull her weight. The chores were rotated, everybody rotated between the list of chores. But Andrea was adamant. She would no longer be the good little wife, washing clothes, cooking meals. She was a soldier and she will do whatever the fuck she wants. To make matters worse, she became a semi-permanent fixture in Walsh’s bed, since Lori and Grimes apparently settled their differences and Lori was once again devout to her husband. Daryl did however catch Mrs Grimes and Walsh in compromising positions and on occasion found the two fucking like rabbits. It was an image he wished he could burn from his mind.

Lori used her pregnancy as an excuse to do nothing but sit around and demand to be served. Carl Grimes ran around the prison with a revolver and his father’s stupid Sheriff’s hat on his head.

 

It was late in the afternoon when Daryl returned from his run. He was tired and hungry. At least he managed to find a nice haul of supplies in the little town and even snagged a nice buck. He was going to call it an early night. A nice hot shower and then his bed. The moment he stepped foot in the prison, all hopes for a peaceful night disappeared. Grimes was supposed to be on guard duty in the watchtower at the back of the prison, with Maggie and Glenn pulling duty in the tower at the front.

But Lori was acting up again. The closer the woman came to her due date the more difficult and bitchy she became. Everybody had sympathy, being pregnant never was easy, the cravings, the mood swings, then the actual birth. But their sympathy were growing thin. They could understand the cravings and the mood swings, what rubbed them the wrong way was that the woman’s natural Queen Bitch attitude amplified and turned the woman into an Uber Bitch, hell bent on making everybody else as miserable as possible.

“Rick, I need you. Our son needs you. You can’t stay in the guard tower tonight. Let somebody else do it. Your family comes first.”

Walsh immediately jumped up, “If it was possible, I would gladly take the rotation tonight, brother. But I’m dead on my feet. I’ve been up since dawn.”

Andrea gave her excuse, since she was on guard duty the previous evening and was tired herself. Daryl knew Axel, Oscar and Big Tiny would not have minded guard duty, they would have welcomed it, but Grimes and Walsh still refused to let the three men out of their cells after dark. They still refused the three men to be armed. T-Dog and Carol just came off a week’s rotation on the back guard tower, with Glenn and Maggie set to start their week’s rotation. Everybody had a job to do in the prison, but Lori and Carl seemed to be excempt from any chores. The woman would not even peel a potato, claiming she was tired, her feet swollen and some shit. Daryl really wanted to slap the woman and tell her that she need not use her fucking feet to peel a potato.

Daryl finally lost his temper.

“Just stop all yer fucking moaning and pissing. Grimes go ahead and protect your wife’s virtue. Andrea go to fucking bed and sleep, same with you Walsh. How come the three laziest fucks in this damn place always wiggles out of any chores? Hershel, make sure Oscar, Big Tiny and Axel gets weapons. They will no longer be fucking locked up each night. Maggie, Glenn you two take the front Guard Tower, I’ll take the back.”

Lori snarled, “Watch your mouth you stupid fucking redneck! And just what is your duty? Besides traipsing off each day?”

“Listen Olive Oyl, don’t you dare and talk to me about chores and duties. Where the fuck do you think the meat comes from that you stuff your face with every day? Who do you think went and brought all the nice shit back to the prison? The comfy mattress for your back, the satin sheets, supplies ya’ll are gonna need when the baby comes? Santa fucking Claus? I’m getting sick and fucking tired of you lot. Tomorrow morning things are going to change in this damn place.”

The three erstwhile prisoners had to hide their smiles. They knew exactly who and what Daryl Dixon was. They knew he used to be a cop, but kept quiet and his secret. Big Tiny remembered Daryl as a fresh faced rookie cop. Daryl Dixon answered a domestic disturbance call in their neighbourhood which turned ugly when Andre decided divorce was too expensive and tried to dissolve the marriage to Shawna by way of his Glock. Daryl was too far away to try and disarm Andre and pushed Shawna away. He was real lucky not to die that evening as the bullet struck him high in his chest and missed his heart with nothing more than a prayer. Daryl never knew who left the cards, gifts and flowers, but Big Tiny knew. His mothers went to visit the man in the hospital each day, to pray and give silent thanks that the cop saved the life of their friend.


	27. Chapter 27

“Lori, you don’t seem to understand. All things considered, you are a very healthy young woman. Nobody is saying you should enter the work rotation. We are not heartless, we have taken your pregnancy into consideration. It will neither harm you nor the baby if you help with light chores. We all have to do our part to make our home pleasant, safe and livable.”

Lori started whining, “This is not a home Hershel. It is a fucking prison. I don’t like it here.”

“Well, whether you like it or not, it is our home now. We have to do the best with what we can. We are safe and secure behind the fences and the walls. Would you have preferred if we stayed on the outside, never being able to relax, always worried when the next horde is going to sweep through? You are pregnant and soon it will be time for the baby to make his appearance. Even if you were able to give birth naturally, were did you think it was going to happen?”

“A house?”

Daryl rolled his eyes. The woman was delusional. Seems like the only thing she is able to understand is how to fuck. Carol stepped in, maybe the pregnant woman would be able to see reason if another woman talked to her. It took nearly an hour of begging, pleading, cajoling, moping, moaning and pissing, but finally Lori consented to at least help with light chores. Chores were she could sit on her butt the whole time.

Next in line had been Andrea. She was a tough cookie to crumble. She absolutely refused to perform any chores she assigned as traditionally female. 

“No, I will not be demoted to cooking food or washing clothes. Male dominance led to this whole mess. Do any of you hicks even know who I am and what I have accomplished? I am the youngest partner in my law firm. I am a highly sought after Civil Rights attorney and both feared and respected by my peers. I clawed my way to the top in a male dominated world. And just who are you?”

She pointed at Hershel, “A washed up old drunk. At least you are a veterinarian, so you may prove to be useful.”

Next her eyes shifted towards Maggie and Glenn, “A pizza boy and a good old farm girl who thinks checkered shirts are the fashion accessory of the decade.”

Beth was her next target, “Another naïve little farm girl, who lives in her own fantasy world, and when she realized there was no Santa Claus, tried to slash her own wrists.”

Andrea was really picking up speed, getting crueler by the second. She pointed to T-Dog and Carol, “A pussy who pretends he is a man, panting after Mrs Battered Wife 2008, hoping he is going to score some.”

She scoffed in the direction of Axel, Big Tiny and Oscar. “The Three Stooges. Of all the prisoners who survived we had to get the three wimps, not even able to swat a fly without crying. And then we come to Dixon. An ignorant little redneck with delusions of grandeur.”

Daryl could handle Andrea calling him names. He was used to it. God only knows, the way he grew up, his skin toughened the fuck up. She could call him every nasty little name in the book and he still would laugh it off, but he will not tolerate the uppity bitch to insult and hurt his friends. As much as he loathed to do it, he must. For the sake of the group, she needs to go. She has proven she is unwilling to change and is slowly dragging the group down. Grimes and his family can stay, as long as they do their part. But he has had it with Walsh and Andrea.

“That is it! Andrea, Walsh, pack yer fucking bags and get the fuck out of our home. Ya’ll don’t wanna stay in a dirty infested prison, so get the fuck out. Grimes and his family can stay if they want, but I will no longer tolerate the both of you in here. Ya’ll are nothing but a burden. Get it through yer thick skulls, the whole world changed.  
Law degrees, corner offices, eco-friendly cars and being the youngest fucking partner in a prestigious law firm don’t mean jack shit. And so what if ya’ll had been a Deputy Sheriff of King County?  
Yer badge and fancy little cap proclaiming Deputy – King County s’not gonna scare the walkers away. Ya’ll can’t threaten them with Judge So-And-So no more. The walkers ain’t impressed with your low carbon footprint. They sure as shit ain’t gonna slap ya’ll on the back when you tell them about all them pussies you have fucked.  
Let me tell ya’ll this, Grimes you and the Missus better fucking listen, the four of you are ‘bout as useful as nipples on a mannequin. Everybody does their part expect the four of you. All ya’ll are doing is bitching and eating. Getting Grimes and Walsh to stand guard is like having a hemorrhoid operation, fucking painful. Ya’ll complain about the prison, but none of you have left the damn place since the moment we’ve moved in. So pack your shit and get the fuck out of our home.”

At first they thought Daryl was joking, but when the man went up to their rooms, grabbing two black bags on the way and started shoving their belongings into them, they realized. He was not joking. He was not backing down and worst of all, the majority of the group agreed with him. Rick tried his best to convince Hershel that Shane and Andrea be allowed to stay, he was not even going to try and reason with Dixon. The man was clearly unbalanced. But Hershel was just as adamant.

“No Rick. I told you back at the farm, I don’t trust Shane and I don’t like him either. I’ve not forgiven him for Otis or what he did at the barn. You may think I am nothing more than a country bumpkin, to soaked to the gills with booze to know right from wrong. But I know that Shane may have saved Carl, but also murdered Otis. Both Andrea and Shane have proved themselves unwilling to co-operate with the rest of the group. They don’t want to be here. They don’t want to live in a prison. And we are not going to force them to live here. You, Lori and Carl is welcome to stay. I will still assist Lori with the birth of your baby, but afterwards, if you decide to leave. If you decide you cannot live in a prison? Then be my guest and leave.”

Fifteen minutes later Shane and Andrea drove off. Shane’s face was defiant and promised violence. Daryl made a note to enforce the fences and gates. He will not have the unstable man coming back and destroying their home. At least it seemed as if Andrea realized what she had done and that she had been banished. Part of her still believed she was right and they were wrong, but maybe she will learn. Much to Rick and Lori’s displeasure, Daryl removed the pistol from Carl’s possession. He may have been somewhat of a hypocrite, since he went armed with his crossbow and a knife since he had been old enough to walk, but the difference had been that he respected weapons and the dangers they posed. He realized and knew they were not toys. Carl did not. The boy treated the weapon as if he was handling a water pistol. The boy had one lesson in fire-arm training and nothing else. He shuddered when he saw the pistol was not only fully loaded, but there was a bullet in the chamber and the safety was not even engaged.


End file.
